Dimensional Travels
by Jammin-2099
Summary: A Trans-Dimensional Teleporter, a sudden surge in Temporal Energy, and everyones favorite Crimson hunter is transported out of his universe. His teleporter can now jump between dimensions, and Zero can feel something Dark awakening within himself.
1. A Journey into the Unknown

Chapter 1: A Journey into the Unknown  
  
The sounds of typing can be heard echoing through the darkened hallways and empty labs of the complex, and the quiet stillness between bouts of typing only add to the uneasy feeling of the darkened workplace. Beakers and test tubes stand in silent rows, like troops at attention, next to large machinery and sophisticated computers humming quietly as they run the tests, record and then store the files of the test results for the scientists to look over in the morning.  
  
A man in his late forties sits at a desk next to one of the larger Mainframes as he is piecing together the last pieces of the programming depicted on screen in front of him, "Yes....yes its nearly complete, just a few more variables to input in the targeting computers location algorithims," the man says to no one in particular," and then the prototype will be ready for testing."  
  
He continues to type away at the computer oblivious to his surroundings, not noticing the person approaching him from behind. The man nearly leaps out of his chair in surprise as a hand comes down on his shoulder. Turning the man notices the hand leads to a familiar-looking sapphire armored figure, who is looking at the information scolling across the screen.  
  
"X!" The man snaps, "Dont sneak up on people like that! Especially me, you could have given me a Heart attack just then."  
  
"Sorry Dr. Cain, I didnt think I would scare you so badly..." The azure colored reploid apologized, "Terrance and Philip said you were still up here, so I thought I'd come up and see how your progress on the project was coming along." X shifted his gaze slightly, moving so he could more easily read the data scrolling across the screen, "So, hows it coming? The other scientists said you were on the verge of a breakthrough."  
  
"Yes, well the Project is coming along nicely, they've already determined the current equipment has the necessary functionality, so all we really need to do is change the programming." Cain said, the pride in his research obvious, "In other words we just need to make it think slightly different, and it should have the desired effect."  
  
"Right, but Dr.Cain, sir, you really should think about getting some rest." X said, his features shifting to a bit of concern for the old man, he was the closest thing to a father X could get, next to his creator, Dr.Light, and all he had left of Dr. Light was the Holograms he had left behind, imprinted with his Neural patterns, so he could advise X when he needed it. "Genesis said I was to come up here and tell you he said to get some rest or in his own words, ""Get some blasted rest Cain, or I will personally have you quarantined and restricted to quarters until I'm satisfied you've had enough of it!""  
  
"Yes, yes, I know, Im an old man who cant learn to listen to the reason of the young." Cain's features shifted to an amused smirk at X, "Oh poor me, all that work and no rest, dont give me that X, I'm in a lot better health than you know" he said as he stands up and stretches, with a slight popping sound from his back, he places a hand on it and bends over, "Then again, a nice rest for a while sounds just about right, Oh my achin back..." he trails off as he heads for his quarters, leaving X illuminated in the pale light from the monitor of the computer  
  
X lingered at the computer station a moment longer, musing on the hell Genesis and Cain would have raised arguing with each other about Cain's state of health. After a moment of thought, X turned to the computer, saving the work on it, before shutting it down. He then headed out of the computer lab, and down to his own quarters, passing the training area as he did so. Hearing the sounds of combat on the other side of the door, he edged the door open, looking into the training area as his Hand split in half and folded back into the sides of his Gauntlet, forming his X-buster as his combat reflexes kicked in.  
  
X slipped quietly into the now silent training area, the bodies of trainer bots littering the floor, and more than a few scorch marks, as well as outright gouges in the walls, where a stray buster shot, or missed slash of a sabre had cut into it. Luckily the walls were too thick to be cut all the way through and the building was sturdy, else it would have collapsed into the dust of the earth long ago from the rigorous workouts of the Maverick Hunters who were trained here.  
  
A flash of lime suddenly from his left, and a sound like tearing metal reached X's audio receptors as the sounds of yet another training bot hitting the ground came from nearby. Then with a sound of metal striking metal, X was bowled over, landing on his back with his buster pinned and a sabre pointed at his face. A moments hesitation on his assailants part, and a gasped out "X?" and X swung his free left boot hard up and across the attackers head.  
  
With the clang of metallic leg striking a helmet, X launched his assailant across the training hall and into one of the walls, before leaping up to his feet, and taking aim with his now freed X-buster. The attacker stood slowly, getting ready to charge again, and X fired into the wall right next to its head, leaving a smoking scorch mark. The figure immediately froze, obviously finding it wiser not to get its head slagged off, then after a moment the eerie crimson glow that X had just noticed was occupying the enemies eyes faded to a clear sapphire, and it yelled "Oy! X! Put that thing away man, you'll hurt somebody!  
  
X stopped for a moment, blinked hard, then reached over and hit the Switch for the lights on the wall, cutting on the overhead lights in the gymnasium like room. "Zero? That you?"  
  
Zero had squinted at the suddenly bright room,"Ugh, Damnit thats too bright, hey what do ya think you're doin', ya coulda slagged me with that shot!" Zero said scratching at the black marks on his helmet.  
  
X turned back to see the crimson hunter standing there, with his helmet off and examining a Scorch mark on the side of the spiked apparatus, where X's shot had come a little too close.  
  
"Sorry Zero, but you did attack me first, and besides, I thought that you would be somewhat intelligent enough to get out of the way of something that slow and energy heavy!" X retorted, his hand unfolding and fusing back into place, as his body powered down his battle systems. "What are you doing up so late, anyway? You're the one that imposed the MHHQ curfew, to keep our ranks ready for an emergency, not to mention the repair techs for the trainer bots are gonna raise hell about you destroying their work AGAIN."  
  
"Yeah, well I just needed to work out some kinks in my system, and I wanted to get some practice in without anyone in the way." Zero stated calmly as he slipped his sabre into its sheath on his back, "Some one could get hurt if they get in my way while I'm trainin', and I dont need Genesis OR Lifesaver on my case about wounded hunters, and their 'Why do you always send them to me' and their spiels about watching out for people less skilled than I am."  
  
"Yeah whatever, Zero. You know that Cain is almost done with his Trans-Dimensional Teleporter Project, the testing is in a few days. Cain's gonna raise hell if you miss another one cause you were zonked out from too much work and not enough sleep"  
  
"Alright, Alright, I'll get some sleep, dont know why Cain always has to try his new crap out on me first though." Zero grumbled as he walked out the door near X, and went towards the East Barracks  
  
"He said it has something to do with your systems adapting really well to anything he can build," X cheerfully replied, "either that or he's trying to see how much you can take before you overload your processor"  
  
"Yeah, whatever. Later X" Zero mumbled before stumbling into his quarters  
  
"'Night Zero." as X continued down to his own Quarters for some rest himself.  
  
---------  
  
A few days later, out in the Skeleton Grasslands...  
  
---------  
  
"Ok Doc, were approaching the coodinates now, Sigma's old base is coming into view" Zero sent through his communicator, as he and X zipped across the ancient battlefield, the dead grasses crumbling from the mere pressure of the air caused by the ride-chasers passage. Dead trees dotted the landscape, their gnarled branches, devoid of leaves, reaching for the sky like giant ancient hands.  
  
"Good.....he ruins wil.....rovide the bes.....ace to test th......ew system from." Came the reply from the communicator, the signal being disrupted by the low level background radiation.  
  
Slowly rising out of the dust of the irradiated battlefield, Sigmas base from the second Maverick war came into view, a decimated behemoth, with large breaches in the sides of it. Its majesty stripped long ago, when it had been bombarded from above by the aerial squadrons of the Maverick Hunters.  
  
"Hope this thing works, X" Zero said bringing up his system status, and implementing the new programming, as they dismounted at the entrance to the base.  
  
"Why?" X asked amusedly, "Because you dont want to lose the 500 zenny, or because you remember that most of Cain's failures ended up zapping the hell out of you, or screwing up your systems?  
  
"The second one, you know you guys still wont tell me what was going on when his last one zapped me" Zero frowned on this as he had the impression that he had done something stupid, because Terrance and Phillip hadn't been able to look at him with a straight face for a week. "Stupid inventions, wish Cain would find another guinea pig for his damned creations..."  
  
"Ze...." the communicator spat at him "..ero, you're app......ching the test coordinates......X, prep.....re the trac......g station"  
  
"Right Dr. Cain, setting it up now." X spoke into his own communicator, as he began to setup the small laptop, and a small device reminiscent of a radar dish, "Okay Doctor, its setup, you should be able to get a slightly better signal now"  
  
"Yes, goo... ork X, now Zero you....ow what to d...." Cain said over the com-link, "jus...et you coordi...tes for MHHQ, and it sho...d be able to ge... you here."  
  
"Right, right, I'm on it..." Zero said hastily punching in the coordinates, then he closed the panel on the gauntlet on his arm, and tried to teleport, by willing the device to work. His gauntlet sputtered a bit, and Zero was surrounded by a familiar crimson glow, but he didnt teleport. "Hey Whats goin' on, I was supposed to be teleported right in front of Cain so I could scare the hell outta him. This thing aint working! Stupid piece of junk.." and with that Zero begins to punch in commands on his system status screen, still glowing a neon red, while X busts out laughing.  
  
"Heh, hey Zero, you look like Terrances night-light, heh heh heh..." X managed to get out between laughs"  
  
"Why, you...huh?" was Zeros intelligent response to X's mirth, as Electricity began to arc from him to the ground, "Hey whats going on?!" "X!.....ro!" the communicator crackled to life, "Massi.....uild-up tem...ral ener......vacuate t....rea NOW!" X immediately started towards the exit of the base, thinking Zero was following behind, after a moment, he checked behind him, only to find Zero still standing there, as though frozen in place by the tethers of Electrical energy streaming off of him.  
  
A scream ripped from Zeros mouth as intense pain lanced through his form, his mind on fire from the intense overload of sensation as the built up energy washed over his form, over and over again, and then in a blast of red hot energy Zeros form blasted upward, forming an intense crimson tower, that burned brightly for a few moments, then slowly thinned before dissipating into a thin streamer of energy, even the wisps of that fizzling out a few moments later  
  
X had his communicator open so fast it looked like it opened itself, "Cain!...Cain!....Zero teleported, did he arrive? Cain?! Cain! Alia! Did Zero arrive? Somebody at HQ Answer ME DAMNIT!" X screamed into his com-link  
  
....om...n....ome..in....X come...n X wha.......status, di....ou and Zer...cape the blast area?  
  
"This is X! Can you hear me?!" X continued yelling into his com-link, "Zero did not escape the blast area, but he teleported, and that seems to have caused the explosion, can you put a tracker on him?"  
  
"X, retur.....ase, rep.....t,re...urn to ba...   
  
---Fade to Black---  
  
Next time on Dimensional Travels, Zero trys to figure out where he got teleported to and trys to find his way back to HQ, but no-one said it was gonna be easy right?  
  
Until Next time,  
  
Stay Vigilant, Hunters  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Well, that's chapter one, hope you enjoyed it...  
  
---Zero walks in scorched and a few pieces of his armor are hanging on by a thread, and hes smoking from his burn marks---  
  
Zero: Did ya have to use THAT MUCH ELECTRICITY?   
  
Ok ok! Maybe I did go a little overboard on the voltage, but you're still alive, right?  
  
Zero: yeah whatever...  
  
; oooooookay....so maybe hes not in the best of moods right now... anyway same things as before apply, if you have to say anything MAJOR about this, Email, suggestions are good, cause I dont have all of his story fleshed out right now, only the actual beginning event and a few things in his past, Universes for him to visit is a good one  
  
C. Tenkoro: Yay Jammin! Can I have a cookie now?  
  
Ja ne! 


	2. The Nexus and Other Fine Establishments

Disclaimer: I do not own MMX MMZero or any Megaman franchise, Zero does not belong to me, nor does the character I am introducing in this chapter, who is on loan to me by a very good friend. Neither one of us owns any form of Star Wars and I say this because the character created by her is a Jedi in the SW universe  
  
I also do not own any other series that may find their way into my story. (No matter how twisted the path they used to get there...MUAH HAHAHAHAHAHA...)  
  
I do not own any Transformers franchise, I am only using their time system at the moment  
  
Try to guess what anime I put a parody cameo in for! In this chapter it's obvious if you like "magic" type animes. Please E-mail all guesses to my Yahoo! address, and put the subject in as "Travels Trivia". The first correct answer will be the winner and will get mentioned in my next chapter and I will ask them to make a suggestion for a specific element to the story in the future, which I will reveal when I ask for the suggestion  
  
Just a few notes,  
  
"example" is Normal speech  
  
(Example) is Thoughts  
  
(--example--) is a computer "speaking". For example, Zero's internal computer.  
  
A Hunter Cycle is just something used by the Computer to indicate time and 1 cycle would be about two hours, therefore a day would be 12 cycles. Yes I'm using it from Beast Wars and Transformers, there's no problem with that, right?  
  
--------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 2: The Nexus and Other Fine Establishments   
  
How long it took, I don't really know. It could have taken hours for me to teleport this far, it could have been an instant.....heh, hell it could have been years, but all I had known during that time was agony as my systems were overloaded by the temporal energy that had interfered with the transport. If you can imagine someone cutting you open, sticking a burning ball of tar inside you, and then sewing you back up with the tar ball still burning inside, you'll have an idea of what this felt like.  
  
I must've passed out during the transfer, because suddenly I was aware of the pain being gone. I also noted that I was not where I had left from, nor was I at the target coordinates set for the test, from what my internal environmental monitors were telling me. My eyes told me the same thing a bit differently though as I opened them to find myself floating in what looked like a cloud of multicolored energy. Streamers of energy flowed like glowing rivers in every direction, looking like strands of colored glass woven into a complex tapestry of light. It was a beautiful, but dangerous sight, as any one of those streamers could vaporize me in an instant.  
  
(Strange...) I thought to myself, (I'll analyze this later...) Looking down at the gauntlet on my wrist, The top popped open and flipped up into a small LCD screen linked to my internal computer "Computer(1): Diagnostic on all systems, give me a damage assessment."  
  
(--Beginning Analysis, scanning...--) the computer said as it began to check my systems, one by one, then began to display the information on the screen, scrolling through the list.  
  
.  
  
....  
  
.......  
  
........  
  
...............(--Complete--)  
  
(--Status Of Unit Designation "Zero"--) and at this, the screen began to read off an extensive list of damaged systems  
  
"Computer, halt report!" I said exasperated, and the screen froze in place, just about to go into how much reserve energy was left for a weapon I couldn't use at the moment. A pair of words flashed softly on the screen after a moment, (--Awaiting Command--)  
  
"Computer, Revise earlier command. Show me the main systems that are damaged or offline"  
  
(--Complying--) It read shortly before an infinitely shorter list began to scroll across the screen  
  
Operational System:  
Circuits for "Second Level" Processing: Non-functional, undergoing repairs  
A.I. System: Non-functional, inaccessible at the moment, Awaiting repair and restoration of "Second Level"  
  
Torso Unit  
Reserve Generators  
Showing slight damage to reserve generators  
        20% loss of output, being repaired now  
  
"Right" and "Left" Arm Units: Showing Servo Damage and loss of strength as result, loss is negligible  
Right Arm  
Z-saber "Learning" system is offline  
        DNA Soul Upgrades not available for use  
Left Arm  
Z-Buster Core showing damage, Core material classified as dead  
        Replacement of core is required  
  
Leg Units  
EAS is Non-Functional  
Will be repaired in 20 cycles  
  
Ascendant Protocols(2) Status: Offline  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Computer Stop, list full status of 'Ascendant Protocols'  
  
(--Complying--)  
  
ASCENDANT PROTOCOLS  
Primary Ascendant ("Offensive Manuevers" Analysis And Duplication)  
Status: Offline  
###WARNING###  
        Data Fragmented, Computer Has Initiated Defragmentation Procedure  
        Estimated Defragmentation Time: 86 Hunter Cycles  
Estimated Time For Full Restoration Of Ascendant, 143 Cycles   
  
Secondary Ascendant(Installed DNA Soul Upgrades):  
Status: Non-functional  
        Unavailable Due To Fragmented Ascendant Data  
  
"Dammit....Okay, Current status of the combined systems for 'Zero' Unit."  
  
Complete Status of Unit, Designation "Zero": 84% functionality; 90% functionality in 13 cycles  
  
"No wonder AI's(3) personality is gone," Zero said to himself, as he read the information displayed on the screen, "guess it's not gonna be back up until Secondary gets back up. Oh well, Computer, analysis of energy in surroundings"  
  
(--Beginning scan.................Contradictory readings, halting analysis to prevent a paradox loop(4)--)  
  
"Okaaaaay, this is strange... Wonder where I am... No, scratch that, how the hell do I get outta he..." and then I felt it, a force took hold of me and began pulling me towards one of the streamers of energy. As I was pulled in closer, I began to see images playing across the surface of the streams: A field scorched by war beginning to restore itself, A modern day castle with figures firing at each other with some type of energy weapons(5), a city full of both monsters and humans, appearing to live in peace.  
  
I began falling toward another energy pillar though, (So this is how I end, huh?) and right before I was engulfed in it, I saw a flash of something along the surface, but I couldn't identify it. It looked somewhat like a tavern of some sort. Then I fell into the energy stream, and I knew no more.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
-A tavern, somewhere in the forest-  
  
The moon shone down upon a quiet lake, as a cloaked figure walked slowly towards the Elfway tavern, a moment to adjust the cloak about its shoulders, and then the figure pulled the door open and slipped inside quietly, moving to take its seat at a table near the window.  
  
"Hmm, crowds a bit sparse, must be some kind of fair in town tonight." the figure stated as the waitress arrived to take the customers order.  
  
"Yes, the townsfolk are having their Founding celebration today, we usually dont get too many customers in here this time of year. With the exceptions of those looking for lodging of course. Did you want anything?" the waitress asked with a smile.  
  
"Yes," the figure said, pulling the hood of her cloak back, "I believe I will, you wouldn't happen to have any Tirellian ale would you?" the woman said, settling into her seat a bit more.  
  
"I'll have to check, but I think so, just a moment." and with that the waitress walked off to find the order.  
  
Turning back to the window, the woman mused to her self a moment before gazing out at the lake, reflecting the moonlight and stars above it. Noticing something was a bit off, she turned to the returning waitress.  
  
"I'm sorry, we dont have any Tirellian ale, but I thought you might try this ale we have made in the village. The first one is on the house." The waitress said, setting the mug on the table.  
  
"Thanks, the names Murra. I was wondering, do you know much about the stars in this area's sky?" Murra continued by pointing out the window, "There's something up there that seems to be moving this way, and I thought it was moving to fast to be a star, it's the red point right there." indicating the point to the waitress.  
  
The waitress took a look out the window, and looked a moment, "I don't know, though the stars change every few weeks, so any difference wouldn't get much attention around here." A voice called from the other side of the tavern, and the waitress turned to answer "I'm coming! Well, I have customers to wait on, if you need anything else, just ask for me, my names Erinyl."  
  
"I will, and my thanks for the drink" Murra said as Erinyl moved off to serve another patron. (Strange stars they have here. Of course I've probably been to most of those stars' systems myself...) she thought, turning to her ale.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Unknown to her, the star in question began falling toward the tavern, taking on a crimson glow as it streaked toward the ground, then growing to a beam of the red light as it neared. It struck the ground, surprisingly with out leaving a mark in the dirt around it, as it formed into a groaning humanoid figure in crimson armor, after fully coelescing the figure fell forward onto his knees, then to his face next to the lake, unconscious.  
  
After a few moments he began to stir, pushing himself up from the ground with an inward groan, "Okay...That was new," He gasped out in a slightly strained voice, "...Diag.-cough,cough-.diagnostic, any additional damage?"  
  
(--Negative. Previous Assessment stands. 139 cycles to optimum efficiency--)  
  
(Well thats a relief, I only "feel" like I had my insides turned to jelly...) after a few moments he shook it off though and turned back to his gauntlet which opened to the screen again. "Computer, how long was I out?"  
  
(--Internal clock reports you were Non-functional for approximately 4 cycles, Right arm functions have finished repairs, and the Left Arm unit has completed all the auto-repairs it is able to also.--)  
  
"Good, go ahead and bring the repaired systems back online." Then closed the panel. "Now where am I?" Zero said getting up, "That's strange, I don't recognize any of the constellations in this area...Computer, perform a data uplink with sattelite MH34 and try to get me the planetary coordinates in relation to HQ."  
  
With a Negatory buzz, the computer replied, (--Unable to comply, MH34 is not available--)  
  
"What? MH34 is one of our longest range sattelites! You should at least be able to get some sort of signal!"  
  
(--Affirmative, however, MH34 is not detected.--)  
  
"Can you detect the nearest sattelite in range?"  
  
(--Scanning.........No sattelites of any manufacture detected.--)  
  
"What?! Not a single signal detected?"  
  
(--Affirmative. Not recieving a signal from any form of artificial sattelite--)  
  
"Possiblilites for loss of signal?"  
  
(--Calculating...complete. Posibilities include: Sufficient damage to Communications, ion particle radiation interference, gamma interference, and destruction of said sattelites, though detectable conditions do not conform to any of these possibilities.--)  
  
"Well that's just great..." he drawled out sarcastically, "Looks like Sigma got in a bit of a hurry coming back this time, though taking out our sattelites isn't really his style. Well, better find out what back-water part of the planet I got sent to." With that, he stood, and began walking slowly towards the building he saw ahead of him, (Looks kinda like Cass's place, seem to be a few reploids in there...) as he saw several anthropomorphic forms though the window.  
  
Zero pushed the door open without ceremony and walked inside, taking note of the inside of the tavern. It was a dilapidated old place, but was obviously meant to be welcoming. It also had a very medieval feel to it, right down to the stone architecture and the bear rug in front of the fireplace. (Pretty low tech, though I guess they don't have much technology outside the cities(6).) Without really paying attention to where he's going, Zero absently takes a seat at one of the barstools, seemingly lost in thought.  
  
What Zero also did not notice was the strange looks some of the patrons were giving him, and the grins of a few bandits who thought they'd found an easy mark. With a few gestures to each other, and a few muffled words of planning, the thieves slowly got up and slipped unnoticed out of the tavern to prepare an ambush.(AN: Add greasy mustache twirling and mocking "Evil Villain Laughter"(tm) at your discretion)  
  
However, Zero was so lost in thought, that he barely registers when the bartender has moved up near him, behind the counter. "Ey' man, can I get youse somethin?" he says, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. Zero looks up with a distracted glance towards the source of the disturbance, and the barkeep continues "Pardon me for sayin' it mac, but ya look like ya could use a drink."  
  
"Nah, I ain't got any cash on me right now anyway, thanks anyway." Zero said, still working on trying to find a connection with the missing sattelites, "Hey by any chance you know where on Earth I am? I kinda got lost in a messed up teleport, and dont know where I am at the moment."  
  
"Ehn? Teleport?" the burly fellow said with a raised eyebrow "A mage then, are we? Don't get many mages out these parts, An eh... What was that place you said, Earth?" at this point a look of confusion is clear on the barkeeps face, "Never 'eard of any place like 'at 'ere in Faerun(7). This 'eres Nashkell, were a good ways south of most of civilisation, but we do a pretty good job all on our own out here, even with the occasional beast attack. Well anyway, I been spoutin my mouth off too long again it seems, WAH HAHAHAHA..." and the barkeep shook slightly with his rolling laugh, "Don't worry about yer coin friend, th' first ale's on th' house." Plunking a good sized mug down in front of Zero, the companionable bartender moved off to see if anyone else needed anything.  
  
(Guess I better get something working while I'm waiting...) He thought as he pulled his lightsabre from its mount on his shoulder and took it apart, laying the parts out on a napkin on the counter as he worked. "Ah, so that's it, the energy converter is busted..." Reaching into a compartment on his waist, he fishes out a field replacement for the converter and sets it in place, then begins putting the complex weapon back together, piece by piece.  
  
(Computer, reason for such a long Defrag time on the Ascendant system) Zero asked his internal computer as he worked.  
  
(--Ascendant data centers report existence of stored information not accessible before. Due to the current state of fragmentation, information on that data is not available at this time--)  
  
(So there's weapon information that was coded, or encrypted?)  
  
(--The protocol of the fragmented data would suggest the data was encrypted, but there is no way to tell now. It will be available after being defragmented and recompiled--)  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Murra had been scanning the room for any problems she might have with the locals, but everyone seemed to be more concerned with the stranger at the bar. To Murra, he seemed normal enough, and wearing armor that obvious would definitely draw attention to him. Then her gaze focused on what he was working on, and her eyes widened. As she had the only clear view from this point, no-one else had noticed it.  
  
(A lightsaber? Here? I didn't think the council had any Jedi out in this part of the Outer Rim.) Murra thought to herself, (Unless he's Sith...better to wait and see. Though if he IS a Sith, I wonder why he hasn't noticed me yet)  
  
Murra continued to watch the red-armored man as he worked at his sabre. Then, after he finished reassembling the device, she stared inconspicously as he opened a panel on his wrist to reveal a mass of wiring going deep into his gauntlet and even into the wrist itself it would seem. (He's a droid? No, he can't be, that face is too human. Must be some form of cyborg,) then she stopped, considering the long mane of yellow tied back behind his helmet, (though I've never seen a cyborg with that much hair.)  
  
Pulling up her hood, Murra shrank down a bit trying to make herself less noticable, as the stranger in the crimson armor got up and walked towards the door after finishing his repairs. Right before he got to the door he stopped suddenly, then looked around as if looking for someone. He shrugged it off after a moment, mumbled something to himself quietly, then walked out the door towards the lake again. After he went through the door, Murra stood and slid out the door behind him, determined to keep an eye on him.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Zero stood at the lake's edge, watching its gentle waves moving across the surface for a moment. His sabre gripped tightly in his hand, Zero brought the weapon up in front of him, and thumbing a switch on the side, a deep, emerald energy erupted from the end of the small hilt. Growing to form a blade of energy which flickered for a moment, it then strengthened itself until it almost looked solid. He gave the green blade a few experimental swings, then deactivated it. "Well, nice to know I have at least one working weapon..." he muttered out.  
  
Resheathing the sabre to its mount on his back, an almost silent 'snap' from behind alerted him to the presence nearby. (So someone's got an interest in me?) Looking to the nearby treeline he grinned a bit (well, let's see just how interesting I am...) he thought before he began walking deeper into the surrounding forest.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
(What is he? I can't sense anything dark about him, but I...wait, I can't sense him at all!) Astonished at this latest revelation, Murra looked around in the trees, (I don't see any of those bloody pests, ysalamiri... So, why can't I sense him?) bringing out every memory she had about hiding ones presence with the Force, not a single one masked the Force itself.  
  
Now with all this thinking, we can forgive her if her attention wasn't focused as tightly on the environment, right?  
  
A soft 'snap' (oh Bloody hells...) came from directly below her, and she froze, then slowly looked down at her foot to see a twig, snapped in half. One half was sticking out on each side of her boot. Then, glancing up again to make sure she didn't lose sight of the strange armored man and to make sure he hadn't heard her, she rolls her eyes and mutters, "great, just bloody freakin' great..." and paying more attention this time, creeps up further to keep him in sight.  
  
Then, when they reached a clearing, the stranger just suddenly stopped. Not as if he needed to rest, but just stopped apparently trying to decide where to go next. That's when he spoke up, "Come on out," he said a bit testily, "...I know you're there."  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"...I know your there." Zero was a bit angry at how the presence kept flickering in his sensors, seeming to be one place, then another place the next instant. It reminded him way too much of fighting Sigma when he had been warping around his arena, launching attacks at random.  
  
The cloaked figure moved slowly out into the clearing, the hem of the cloak being lost in the debris of the forest, so you couldn't tell where the cloak starts and the ground begins.  
  
"Okay, buddy, Now who the hell are ya? and why are ya followin me like some demented stalker?" He practically yelled at the figure, who was reaching up to the hood of the cloak. It was a bit easy to tell he wasn't happy, but that could be because his sensors were picking up signs of other people in the forest nearby, but it couldn't locate them. (Dammit, she has reinforcements?!)  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Jerking her hood down from her head, Murra stared a moment at the enraged Hunter. "I could ask you the same thing! What in the Nine Hells are you?!" She herself was madder than hell, Sith just pissed her off something royal. "Damned bloody Sith, always coming up with new ways to hide yourselves..." and then her senses picked up the other people hiding in the woods. (AND they're always bringing their friends with them when you don't! Stupid Murra, stupid!)  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
As Zero and Murra's conversation degenerates into an argument of recriminations...  
  
We take a moment from this fic to consider a group of bandits the Honored Reader might remember.  
  
Yes, that's them. The ones from the bar. Recognize the stupid grin?  
  
Now, given that they have been following both people without being seen or heard, and that both are reasonably angry, they should be rather easy to mug right?  
  
You'd think they'd know better.  
  
Although, seeing as how all they've seen as far as weapons on the man in red armor goes, is what looks like a hilt with no sword on it, and the woman has something similar, and that the group has never come across a Maverick Hunter OR a Jedi before in their lives, as before with Murra's attention, this lapse in judgement can be forgiven them.....Right?  
  
And actually right about this time is when the leader decided to jump down on the arguing pair, landing next to them. Of course they weren't really paying attention to him, so he decides to yell...  
  
"YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIVES!"  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIVES!!!!" echoed through the forest, stopping Zero and Murra's argument.  
  
As one, Zero and Murra blinked at each other for a moment, then turned and looked towards the bandit, who immediately pulled himself up to his full Orc height and brandished his rather large dagger menacingly at the two of them.  
  
"Youse 'eard me! 'and over your valuables, and I won't 'ave to gut ya!"  
  
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!" Zero and Murra yelled at him, and then both of them slugged him hard in the gut, blowing all the air out of his lungs and knocking the poor bandit out cold.  
  
The other bandits up in the trees stared on in disbelief, as they watched their leader get knocked out from one belt to the gut, and the two began arguing again. Granted he was hit with two fists, they still hit him at the same time. As they stared Zero and Murra were back to their yelling, this time insults had flown thick between them, and finally drawing their respective weapons as they backed out to a respective distance. Zero his Lucas, the bright gold plating of the sabre glinting slightly in the moonlight, and Murra her own Jedi lightsabre, Her own craftsmanship showing proudly in the sleek metallic lines of its shaft.  
  
"That's it! I'm taking care of you before you have a chance to corrupt or kill anyone!" With a distinctive 'snap-hiss' sounding out, Murra charged forth from where she had backed to as her blade activated, a slightly-calmed but focused look upon her features as she charged across the clearing.  
  
Zero's shining emerald blade came up into a Defensive position as he stood to break Murra's charge, the energy blades clashing together as Murra reached him, and the two blades of light began moving in their own graceful arcs over and around the two opponents.  
  
Zero struck back almost immediately from breaking her charge, swinging his sabre in from the right, cutting an emerald path from the right, which stopped as it met Murra blocking with her own sabre. A slight kiai escaped him as he continued through the swing bringing the emerald blade around in a complicated pattern, meant to throw her off, before swinging around and down towards Murra's left kneecap.  
  
Murra leapt over the strike at her legs, before rolling down and dropping into the splits to avoid the reversed horizontal slash that followed, barely missing the top of her head. Zero recovered from his hard side swing, and used the excess momentum in a spin which brought his sabre over in a vicious downward slash. The cut would have split Murra in half, if she hadn't raised her sabre just then. It had come straight up, above her head without looking. Zero's blade clashed off of Murra's and he leapt back putting some space between them. (How'd she DO that? I'm sure she couldn't see me, It's like she knows where the blade is going before I do...) Murra had also rolled away and leapt to her feet, keeping her distance from the crimson Hunter.  
  
(He's skilled with that sabre he's got, that's for sure.) she thought as she waited for his attack. When it didn't come she gathered herself in and leapt, pushing off the ground with her legs as she augmented her jump with the Force. She came down on a collision course from above, her blade ready to cleave his head off. Her attack also met with a block from the other sabre, before she twirled into another slice from her bottom left to top right. Zero had practically danced out of the way of that one, only to have his eyes widen as he dodged suddenly to the left when Murra's sabre thrust in where his head had just been. Rolling onto his back while taking hold of her wrist, Zero kicked out, sending Murra flying in a reversed throw. Murra flipped in the air once before landing gently on her feet, while Zero had rolled all the way back to his feet on the other side of the clearing.  
  
Both combatants were having to catch their breath, each seeing it as some unspoken rule to wait for the other to recover. Zero and Murra slowly circled each other as they waited, looking for some unseen signal or sign that would begin the battle all over again. Well something came, anyway... (What the...) Zero thought as five more bandits jumped out of the woods.  
  
(For the love of the Correllian star...what now?) Was Murra's thought as the thieves quickly lined up before them.  
  
"Hey! Y-Y-Your g-gonna stop r-right now and g-give us your magic s-s-swords and our b-boss back right n-n-n-n-now!" At this, the remnants of the (AN: IMHO) "Incredibly Stupid" bandit gang(8) drew their daggers and shortswords, holding them shakily at the ready against Murra and Zero.  
  
Murra stared in disbelief at the group of bandits. Their blades were shaking so bad, a strong wind could've disarmed the entire group. Staring at the unbelieveable scene, she blinked....then she blinked again, "You...you want us to what?" She had not been able to understand him, his voice had been shaking so bad. Then she heard a chuckle from beside her, and she turned to find Zero's face cracking up. He was fighting it, but before long he lost it, and began laughing so hard you could hear it all the way back to the tavern they all had left. Murra's watched his expression for a moment, before beginning to crack up herself.  
  
Zero could be heard muttering things to himself in between laughs, until he finally composed himself enough to say, "That's the most hi-HAAA HA HAHAHA-hil..hilarious thing I've ever SEEN!" and laughed a bit more after that. Then after composing himself slightly, he finally chuckled out, "Ooh, what are ya gonna do, rattle me to death with those shaking pocket-knives of yours?" and with that he burst into laughter again.  
  
The bandits, finally realizing they were being insulted, began to get angry. Forgetting about Murra entirely, they charged Zero as a group, their blades raised high as they dashed in on him.  
  
(AN: Well, their leader just assaulted a Jedi and a Maverick Hunter --Both wearing armor-- at the same time and got plastered right in front of them. How smart can the rest be if that's the leader?)  
  
Suddenly Zero's mirthful expression sobered itself, and a predatory smile spead itself across his face. He had dropped back into a defensive stance, still chuckling as they charged. Then, as they crossed the halfway point, he yelled out a challenge to the approaching thieves, "Heh heh, come on ladies. Let's see what ya got."  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
FOOTNOTE (Yes you authors know what this is but DEAL WITH IT! Some people don't know, Like....um...Like That Guy!--points in an entirely random direction--)  
(-That Guy- Huh?)  
  
(1) Yes, Zero has an Internal Computer, he may be a Reploid, but he still had a human brain to begin with. If you need an example, think the computer on the Enterprise from those startrek shows, or Cable's computer from the X-men cartoon.  
  
(2) ASCENDANT, one of Thomas J. Light's greatest achievements in the Robotic weaponry, which would include Reploid weaponry since reploids are just highly advanced Robots. This is the system that made Megaman the warrior he was before, and the warrior he is now as X, giving him his ability to copy his enemies powers. As they were in the plans Light made for the Reploid design that Bass stole for Wily, (read "Bass is Not a Fish" by Red Draco for this backstory, It's like the first or second Chapter, Ascendant is my own interpretation of this system, It's never actually mentioned in Red-sama's story) Zero possesses them as well, though they have been altered and simplified by Wily to better suit Zero's fighting style  
  
(3) The Personality for Zero's computer, it will be reactivated in an upcoming chapter  
  
(4) Paradox loop: For example, having a computer analyze and decide which is true between the two phrases  
A: Sentence B is false  
B: Sentence A is true.  
This would cause the computer to overload, because it would just loop over and over and over until it burned itself out, Zero's computer has safeguards to prevent this  
  
(5) FPS fans probably recognize this universe  
  
(6) Remember a lot of Mavericks make their fortresses out in the wilderness, so I wouldn't want any technology to draw attention to myself either  
  
(7) I apologize to all D&D players who use the Forgotten Realms world, for the Idiocy I'm about to put on their world  
  
(8) To quote a footnote by Hung Nguyen in his story Rune Soldier Ranma "WAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" If you don't get the joke in this section, you cannot call yourself an Anime fan.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ok people, Chapter two is here! Welcome to your slow spiral to doom!  
  
But seriously, This was hard to write, but I had a blast working with my friend Murra to work out the dialog and curses for her character. This is probably going to take a little while before I am able to get the next Chapter up, but in the mean time my Muse has hit me with the inspiration I needed for another Ranma Songfic! You might wanna get your flashlights though cause this one is headed for the Dark-side, and you don't want to be lost in the night.  
  
Now Hunters, I've given my challenge, the "Travels Trivia" and the first correct answer gets to help me with an upcoming chapter with a suggestion for one of it's elements, So send in those emails quick!(Note: Please Send these "!!!!!!Directly!!!!!!" to my Email address "zerotraveler at yahoo.com"(it won't accept my "at" symbol) and NOT through the review system. FF.net doesn't like us using the review system as a suggestion box, and I understand why, cause I worked in tech support at one time, fixing Email servers)  
  
Thank you, all those who reviewed my fics. It sounds corny and lame I know, but you are a part of my writing now, therefore you are a part of my stories too. Thanks again!   
  
This is jammin-2099 AKA Zero the Dimensional Traveler  
  
Signing off...  
  
Stay Vigilant, Hunters 


	3. Fun with Bandits or Didn't you know this...

Dimensional Travels  
  
Chapter 3: "Fun with Bandits" or "Didn't you know this wasn't your planet?"  
  
Disclaimer: I can't do anything original for this, so I'll let you figure it out for yourselves what I do and do not own, including the Star Wars elements and the Megaman X/Zero elements, and the Forgotten realms elements, and anything else my twisted mind has included.  
  
A note to those of you that liked the (As Templar of Ni put it), "Jedi vs Hunter" battle, all I can say is you ain't seen nothing yet. For this chapter at least, there is no more fighting force users....I think....  
  
A possible spoiler for new Megaman X fans. This story takes as a given that you know that Wily created Zero. If you don't? Well, exactly how new a Megaman fan are you? Did you start in the last ten minutes?  
  
On with the story!  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Come on, ladies. Let's see what ya got." Zero's tone was amused as he watched what was laughingly called an attack heading towards him. The bandits, their swords raised high, leapt upon him, their weapons coming in from all angles. Swords were slashing and daggers were stabbing, but Zero seemed relatively unharmed as he flowed like water through their ranks. The few hits that did connect either turning aside on his armor, or chipping the blade of the weapon as it was jarred back from the impact.  
  
When Zero finally decided he had had enough, he leapt upwards and over the group, landing on the other side of the clearing. "Okay, not bad guys, but it's not...good...enou...." He trailed off as he felt a stinging sensation on his face. Lifting a hand up to his cheek, he felt it. A scratch, they had actually managed to scratch him. "Well, rack up another point for the humans. Damn berserkers(1). You did better than I thought, actually scratching me like that. Oh well, now it's my turn." He said, leveling a devilish grin at them.  
  
At this moment though, Murra was boggling at his words. (Humans?! That means he's NOT human?! Who is this guy?!)  
  
Several of the bandits backed up after seeing this, wondering who this guy was and how he had gotten all the way through them with only a scratch. Of course they only thought this for a moment, as Zero suddenly dashed towards them. Now, two of them (meaning the smartER ones...), did the logical thing, turned on their heel, and tore off screaming into the forest. The other three stayed grouped together, weapons at the ready, Mentally swearing revenge on the abandoning "friends" as Zero reached them.  
  
Being the closest to Zero when he charged, the point man of the bandits brought his sword down in a cleaving slash. Zero simply kicked the ground slightly, sliding him sideways from the attack, and threw a right haymaker into the thief's rotund belly as he passed him by. Said bandit clutched his stomach, and fell over unconscious, while Zero had come down low as he reached his next target. This one leapt up over Zero as he passed low to the ground, and came down ready to stab his sword into Zero's unprotected back.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
We take a moment here to consider the two opposing forces, piercing ability and defensive ability, and also the composition of the weapon and armor being used respectively.  
  
Take, for example, the bandit weapon; a basic short sword. While simple in design, this bandit gang can be seen as moderately well off, due to the fact that this sword is of amazing quality and durability. and it's sharp edge and thin point make it an excellent weapon for piercing. Of course the limit here is that while of fine quality, the sword is made of forged steel.  
  
Of course on the other side, Zeros trademark crimson armor is made from considerably tougher materials, namely Titanium X, that being the strongest metal alloy at the time Wily created Zero. Which is quite a while after using forged steel had become obsolete.  
  
Consider then, my friends, a brick wall, and the enemy as someone who is hitting said wall with a rather light stick.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
The bandit came down assured of his victory, when the sword hit Zero's armor plating, and then snapped in half a moment later. Dumbly, the stunned man stared at the broken remains of his sword. "M-Meshala!"(Translation: Son of a -censored-!) He turned to flee, only to run right into Zero's boot as it came around swiftly into his face with a resounding -Thwack!- of metal hitting flesh.  
  
Zero stood there a moment as the last of the criminals stopped in his charge into the fray. He turned to face the bandit, seemingly towering up over the him. Then, with an unnecessary Evil Laugh(tm) Zero got right in his face, and quieted down suddenly, letting the menace grow larger, before whispering.....  
  
"Boo!" The bandit promptly wet himself after this. After disgracing himself, he followed his earlier comrades in the act of fleeing in terror into the undergrowth.  
  
Zero sat down against a tree and started laughing. Every few laughs were seperated by a moment to gasp in air, and then his mirth would continue. "Man...That has to be the f-f-HAAAHAHAHAHA-f-funniest thing I've ever seen..." He was so busy laughing that he barely noticed Murra sneaking up behind him. He raised his left arm as she approached, and then she leapt, pinning him to the tree he was against, her lightsabre against his throat.  
  
"Stay still you monster. Now I want some answers!" She said, her weapon poised to decapitate him.  
  
"I'd suggest you shut that thing off, lady." Zero said prodding her in the stomach with his left arm. "Someone could get hurt..." Murra looked down at what was prodding her to see what looked like a cannon of some sort pointed at her stomach. "Oh, ya noticed it huh? This is the 'Cain Labs J97 Plasma Arm Cannon Mk2' or as I like to call mine, the Z-Buster. One shot from this range would vaporize you instantly. Now, if you'd turn that sabre off, please?"  
  
Staring at the cannon with wide eyes, Murra did as she was told and shut it off while backing away from him. "Just who are you anyway? Nevermind that, WHAT are you? That sword snapped like a twig."  
  
Zero stood up, then dismissed his Buster, opting to unsheathe his sabre again as his left gauntlet flipped back out and refused into a hand. "I could ask you the same thing, following me all the way out here. Who are you, lady? And why are ya followin me?!"  
  
"I thought you were with the Sith!" Murra shouted, incensed at his rudeness. "Your armor practically screams it, and you're carrying a lightsabre! Not many people carry lightsabres, just about none do out this way of the galaxy, and the Jedi Order doesn't have any jedi out here!"  
  
"Who the hell are these Sith people you keep talking about?!" Zero yelled himself, "I'm Zero, a reploid, leader of Maverick Hunter Special Unit #0, and I don't get along real well with people who try to kill me!"  
  
"You, You don't even know who the Sith are?!" Murra asked astounded, she had thought him to be at least trained slightly in the Force with the skillful way he used his sabre, and if he had been trained he had to know what the Sith were. "Haven't you ever heard of the Republic?"  
  
"Republic of what? I know of several republics in Asia, Europe, and South America."  
  
"No, Not a republic of something, THE Republic." Murra said trying to make him understand, she was relaxing a bit now that she was starting to piece it together. "Haven't you heard of the Republic Capital on Coruscant? The Jedi Academy on Yavin 4?"  
  
"No, I..." Zero began, "Wait a minute...On Coruscant? You mean you're from one of those space colonies we sent out?"  
  
"No, Coruscant has been there for millenia. It's a giant city that covers the enitre planet."  
  
"Oh so if we're on this Coruscant, Where's this so called giant city huh?"  
  
"That's just it, we're not on Coruscant. This is a planet on the Outer Rim the natives call Faerun." Murra was beginning to figure out Zero wasn't from this planet at all. Probably had amnesia from what had brought him here. "Take a look at that monster of a bandit leader over there, you got anything on your world that looks like that, that you can remember?"  
  
Zero took a good look at the first attacker, his face twisting in disgust as he looked at the monstrosity that looked like a twisted version of a man. "Ugh, no, nothing like that on Earth."  
  
"Earth? Do you know where in the galaxy that is?"  
  
"Wait a minute, You're telling me I'm not on Earth anymore? That I'm on some weird planet on the other side of the galaxy?" Zero was obviously confused. "But we haven't even come up with interplanetary transport yet..."  
  
"Right, that's what I thought." Murra said, her manner changing to an apologetic one as she put away her sabre. "Uh...I'm...Um, Sorry for attacking you back there. Come on, we can go back to my ship, and we'll try to find out where this strange planet of yours is..."(Earth? Who names a planet Earth anyway?)  
  
"Uh, Sure..." Zero said, relaxing when her sabre was put away. His manner stayed tense though, ready for a surprise attack. "So, where is this ship of yours?"  
  
"Oh, It should be getting here right about now..." She said as a steady hum picked up and grew louder as something approached, then a wavering shape broke through the treetops and set down before shimmering and becoming a small grey spaceship. "Here we are... Now, how many planets in your system?"  
  
"Nine, I think..."  
  
Murra walked in and sat down at her navigational console, the computer loading up as she sat down. "Type of star?"  
  
"Yellow average type?"  
  
Murra looked at him a bit funny, "OK, Type 3 star." Information began to scroll across the screen, denoting a long list of systems. "Anything else? Are all of your worlds life-sustaining? or do you have colonies? Are a large percentage of the planets in your system water covered?  
  
"Well, our planet is the third closest to the sun, It's mostly covered in water, and well, it's the only planet that is habitable in our system."  
  
Murra put that in, although she was a bit surprised by the fact that only one out of nine planets sustained life."Ok, let's see here. There are...no...Systems..to match...parameters?!" Murra looked at Zero sharply, "You sure you remembered that stuff correctly?"  
  
"Yeah, I did, you sure it says there are none?"  
  
"Ok, ok, ok, That's it. Come on, were going to the medlab." She said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him down to the medical area, then shoved him into the scanner.  
  
--Scanning, Subject is scanned as a battletype droid, no matching Droid type configurations, Droid's systems are highly advanced, neural/mental capacities on par with the human mind, Neural network closely resembles design of human brain. Further analysis is unavailable due to the high level of unknown advanced systems in Droid. Possibly a prototype. Functions cannot be determined.--  
  
Zero stepped out of the scanner, "What the hell was that?" he said, staring at the screen.  
  
Murra looked over the report a moment, "Well, what the hell are you, It says you are a droid even though the scanner doesn't recognize your design. But you look human to me, You apparently bleed like a human," she said, swiping a drop of the reploid "blood" from the side of his face, "So just what are you?"  
  
"Haven't you ever seen a reploid before? We're designed to be as humanlike as possible, and we're programmed differently from normal robots to have free will." Zero said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Okay, Okay, let me get this straight, you're a highly advanced robot, called a reploid, that was just dropped out here in the middle of nowhere, and you know nothing about the Republic? Do you have any idea how you got here?"  
  
"No! One minute I'm in this weird place with streamers of energy going everywhere, then I fell into some energy stream and I ended up here!" At this point, Zero's right gauntlet began to glow again as the multi-faceted energy began building up again. "Actually, this is how I got to the weird place in the first place...Hey, I can't shut it off! Dammit not again!" Zero bellowed as the energy engulfed him and then blasted through the top of the ship and into the sky, amazingly not leaving anything but a few scorchmarks where he impacted the ceiling, no damage whatsoever.  
  
"Um, Zero?" Murra said as she looked around for him, "Hello? Was that some kind of teleporter? We don't have teleporter technology yet." She thought on this for a moment. " Ah to Bloody hell with it, I need to report this to the New Senate."  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
A rather large robot, with a brown set of armor and green plating over his exposed areas of arm and leg, turns from his console to look over at his commander. "Hey Optimus. We got an incoming energy beam, and it matches the frequency that the last two alien constructs were giving off. I think you'll want to take a look at this."  
  
A robot that rather resembles a metallic red and blue rat looks up at the brown figure, "That's it, another alien doomsday device," The rat sighs, "Slag it, We're all gonna die..."  
  
"Shut-up Rattrap." The leader says.  
  
"Oh yes Sir! Do you want me to stay quiet until 'after' we're slag or just before?" The one called "Rattrap" spat out sarcastically.  
  
"We're not dying from this one, not after surviving the last two. It looks like its going to land in the desert area near where we found the standing stones. We need to get to it, what ever it is, before the Predacons do." said the leader who, now that we can see him, looks sort of like a big mechanical gorilla.  
  
"The Predacons are already on their way towards the landing site." said the brown armored one, who had what looked like the mouth of a rhino as a chestplate.  
  
"Well, that's just Prime..." The leader said dryly after sighing. "Well?! You heard me Maximals, move out!"  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Sorry if this seems short, I got an idea for the next chapter that will be better. I hope....  
  
A. Tenkoro: Yeah, right. Like the disaster your first draft of the second chapter was?  
  
Shut UP!  
  
--Smashes Tenkoro with a metal bat, tosses bent and dented bat away--  
  
A. Tenkoro: I-Ite...--passes out--  
  
Anyway, I hope this wasn't too much, but I did have to finish up the loose ends in this dimension before I sent him to another, like the end of the bandits fight, and Zero starting to figure out what's going on. and I thought I'd give ya a little start for the next chapter. Yes, it's that show, yes I'm using a transformers universe. No, Zero will not be given a vehicle or animal transformation. If you have to know, Zero's systems don't work the same way that the Transformers does, and because of that he's not affected in the same way by the Energon deposits.  
  
For continuity sticklers, the Megaman timeline is right after the X4, and for the Transformers BeastWars, it's a while after the trans-warp shockwave turned them into Transmetals, but I haven't decided if Dinobot is still alive.  
  
See ya next Chapter, Same Z-place! Same Z-story!  
  
(Ok I totally ripped that off of the original Batman TV series, but I've always wanted to say that!)  
  
This is jammin-2099 AKA Zero the Dimensional Traveler Signing off...  
  
As always,  
  
"Stay Vigilant, Hunters" 


	4. Maximals, Hunters, and Predacons, Oh my!

Dimensional Travels  
  
Chapter 4: Maximals, Hunters, and Predacons, Oh My!  
  
.....And NOW! For our standard disclaimer.....Masaki Ten-chan!  
  
C. Tenkoro: (walks out onto the stage) Hiya! My name's Tenk'ro! jammin told me I'm supposed to say dat he don't own any Megaman characters or any Megaman sewies, and that um....Zewo? what was the next part?(turns and looks off stage where furious whispering can be heard) Oh Yeah!(giggle) Beast Wars and all other Twansformers sewies don't bewong to him neiver. He is also using Auntie Muwwa from his friend Tekal, but I don't think she's in this chapter. And did you know she gave me a bike for my berfday? It's red and it goes reawwy fast, and it has a little horn that goes toot-toot! and....(continues to babble about his bike as Zero walks in and ushers him off the stage...)  
  
(A few moments later Zero walks back on stage)  
  
Zero: Ahem, Thank you Ten-chan, now on with the fic!  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"Commander Megatron! Commander Megatron!" a hissing voice is heard speaking excitedly, "Haah haha, Megatron look at this! I'm detecting an energy pattern that matches the one that activated the last alien super weapon! It's emerging from the trans-warp disturbance now!" A rather sleek looking spider with wheels for shoulderplates said excitedly, waving a large purple metallic T.Rex over with a black, barbed claw.  
  
"Excellent, yes... Tarantulus, Inferno! Gather the others, quickly! We need to get to that weapon and see if we can commandeer it before the Maximals get there! Yes..." The look on the mechanical king of dinosaurs was an evil malicious grin. "And soon Optimus Primal, Our reckoning shall be complete...Yes..."   
  
"Yes, My queen!" The crimson ant shouted before dashing off to gather their forces.  
  
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that..."  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Out in space in the area just being scanned by the two opposing forces, a ripple in the hyperspace fabric was forming just as their sensors was telling them. Suddenly in the center of the disturbance the fabric of space seemed to bulge and stretch out towards the blue planet, before a cimson beam shot from the bulge, and the fabric of the disturbance snapped back into place, rippling like disturbed water.  
  
The beam of energy streaked down towards the planet, parting the clouds and atmosphere before it. Coming to the planet, it smashed down into the soil, scorching the ground from the slight explosion of excess energy. The remainder of the energy then congealed into a human figure, which promptly fell over on his face into the dust.  
  
"Ow, damnit!" Zero groaned as he picked himself up. "Stupid teleporters on the fritz... Computer, can you calculate where we are now?"  
  
--Negative, constellations are back to recognized patterns, however placement of constellations is incorrect. Estimate a time dicrepancy of indefinite length to explain a change in star patterns.(1) New Data: Ion trails from sattelites detected. It would seem a ring of sattelites was functional, but their orbits have since decayed.--  
  
"Ok, But i thought you said you couldn't detect our sattelites at all from our last position?"  
  
--Affirmative. This unit could not detect the presence of any sattelites, or signs of a sattelite. Logic dictates that we must have been transported to another planet and then to here, judging by constellations. Since constellations are back to normal patterns, this unit must conclude that we have returned to Earth.--  
  
"So we're on Earth, but it could be any amount of time before or after our own time?(2)"  
  
--Affirmative. Warning: Detecting artificial lifeforms approaching from the southeast and southwest. Southeastern group will arrive in .3 Cycles. Southwestern in 1 cycle.--  
  
Hearing this, Zero ran for the nearest structure he could find, which turned out to be a circle of stones, vaguely reminiscent of Stonehenge. Leaping up he took a position atop one of the pillars and stayed there, waiting for whoever it was that was coming. He was shocked as he saw a large mechanical T.Rex fly in on turbines attached to his hips, and then a motorcycle drove up that resembled a spider. They were joined a moment later by a creature that had the body of a scorpion and a tail that looked like a snake, and an enormous Black Widow spider. Bringing up the rear was a rather large fire ant, and a huge wasp which began to speak strangely enough in a high-pitched, nervously buzzing voice.  
  
"Waspinator not like going after superweapons. Superweapons have habit of slagging Waspinator." It was wringing it's forelegs together nervously as it hovered there in the air. "Waspinator think we leave this one alone, or destroy it soon as possible..."  
  
"I think not, No..." Said the T.Rex looking around the area. "Tarantulus, where is it?! You said it would land here. Well?"  
  
"I don't know, Megatron" the spidercycle said in a hissing voice, "It was supposed to be here. Perhaps it was already active and moved away from the area. See there? The scorch marks of something landing here are still on the ground."  
  
"Well? Spread out and find it! I want that alien Superweapon!" Megatron bellowed, "Transform and scan every inch of the desert if you have to! Megatron terrorize!"  
  
Zero watched, stunned as the T.Rex began to reconfigure itself, its body rearranging mechanical pieces to form a tall human shaped robot. Then the other creatures began to transform. each took on a strange robotic form in front of Zero's eyes. "Holy mother of all reploids...."  
  
--Units from southwest closing in.--  
  
"Damn it, there's more of them. I really don't need this right now." Zero said sliding farther from the edge.  
  
"Megatron! I've got a reading! It's in the standing stones!" The now humanoid arachnid hissed, his robotic eyes gleaming.  
  
"Quickly, after it!" Megatron bellowed to his subordinates  
  
"WAIT! It's moving!" Tarantulus cackled with glee, "I was right! It is active! It's...over there!" He shouted, pointing across the stones. Just then Zero leapt out away from them trying to escape.  
  
"I said 'after it'!" Megatron said powering up his thrusters as the wheels in back of his ankles snapped down into place.  
  
All the predacons took off in pursuit of Zero, animal and vehicle modes tearing across the desert toward where he was making his escape. Only sparing a glance over his shoulder, he took one look at the rapidly approaching figures and stopped in his tracks. (Ah, well. Never was one to run from a good fight.) he said, changing direction to dash towards them.  
  
"He's charging, prepare for battle! Transform and try to capture it intact! Predacons terrorize!" and once again the robot/animal hybrids took on their sinister transformations, this time weilding deadly looking weapons. Zero was upon them almost instantly, his lightsabre snapping into existence.  
  
"A solid particle energy construct! I must have his technology!" Tarantulus spat hungrily as he leveled his wheelcannon at the reploid before opening fire.  
  
"Man, what is it about me today? Did I do something cosmically wrong? Did I piss off a demi-god or something?" He spun at the sound of a weapon charging behind him, and leapt up and backwards as the spiderbot began firing. "Did I kick your dog? Give me 'Something' to work with here..." after landing he dashed forward at his assailant, his boosters kicking in as he came low to the ground. As he reached the spider, he planted a hand on the ground and launched himself up, sweeping his sabre in an upwards arc, and slicing through the center of the wheelblade firing the plasma. Landing behind the spider he took note of the astonished stares of the rest of the enemies as he spun around and swung a leg up, sending the spiderbot flying with a perfect spinning crescent kick.  
  
(I couldn't track him through that! He can't be that fast...) Megatrons pincer seperated and began charging a purple light between the two tines, electricity arcing across it. "Predacons Attack!" he yelled, as the rest of his group leapt towards Zero.  
  
Zero dropped as the black widow robot flew in through a flying kick, and then from his coiled up state, sprang into the air to avoid being blasted by the cannon shells the Fire-ant one was firing. Coming down from his leap, he lashed out with a fist landing a solid blow to the fire-ants face, surprisingly knocking the head from it's shoulders. Staring at it a moment, he was caught unaware as the black widow let loose with gatling fire, surprisingly from the tips of her spiderlegs. They didn't do much damage, but it felt like hundred of insect bites all over. Spinning around, he dodged left, then rolled to the right, comeing up on her blind spot as she turned to follow his first move. he launched another right hook to take out this one as well, but nearly lost his own head when she leaned backwards suddenly and kicked over her own head. Zero barely slipped his head out of the way but the kick clipped his shoulder sending him flying in a slow barrel roll into the ground. Waspinator joined in this time firing explosive darts, which Zero was frantically rolling away from. After getting out of the wasp's line of fire he bounced back to his feet, only to roll to the side to avoid a blast from the snake/scorpion hybrid. As soon as he completed his roll though he came up into Megatron's pincer, the energy humming a bit from its containment. "What are you?" Megatron growled, "You don't look like the other alien artifacts."  
  
Heh heh heh, I'm a Hunter....and your group has the worst battle tactics I've ever seen." zero sneered at the large robot, "You're not used to fighting a single opponent are you? You're made for war, massive battles with hundreds of other enemies or at least battles with evened odds or the odds stacked in your favor...." At this point Zero vanished from Megatron's sight. "...And you can't even adjust to my greater speed apparently."  
  
Megatron spun to stare at where it had come from behind him, only to find a grinning Zero. "Fine then, you can just die, you alien piece of junk!" Megatron fired his blast this time, firing a large practically solid ball of energy at Zero. Zero stood his ground a moment, then swung his sabre around and down through the center of the violet sphere, which crackled and pushed against his strike.  
  
For the Predacons, the energy hovered there a moment, then seemed to split before it exploded violently. The explosion created quite a large dustcloud from the blast area, obscuring the evil transformers vision. When it cleared Zero was gone, the only thing left seemed to be a rather large patch of scorched ground, marking where he had been.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Zero had managed to get away in the resulting confusion caused by the smoke screen, though running didn't agree with him. "Damn it, I managed to get their scanner device, but that other group is closing in on me." It was true, the scanner device was picking up six other signals represented by a strange wolfs-head symbol. (Damn it, they're right on top of me!) Zero ducked into an alcove in the rock just a moment before a metallic blue and silver cat flew over head. Soon it was followed by a rat with off road tires attached to its hindlegs, and a gorilla flying on a hovering surfboard of all things! A few moments later, a rhino, a velociraptor, and a strange hybrid of a wolf and an eagle caught up to the others.  
  
"It's here." the rhino said, "The signal is coming from this area. I'd suggest being careful Optimus, We don't know what it can do."  
  
"Right," the gorilla started, he hesitated a moment, as something in the shadows caught in the corner of his eye. "Maximals, Maximize!" At this the Gorilla split in half to rotate a robotic head into place, then his hands changed to seem more human, and his torso rotated 180 degrees before locking into place. The others followed suit, each taking on a robotic form. The cat from earlier was now standing on his back legs, his front legs folded to his back, his hands were the two halves of the cat forms head, the eyes held the dull glow of a slight charge of energy.  
  
The rhino had stood up on its hind legs as well, the front legs opening to reveal large green hands. his rhino head had opened its mouth and then split the lower jaw somehow forming the chestplate of it's armor. His head was green like his hands, and the surface of his cranium only added to the image he had of one of those bouncers Cass had hired for his bar, with their shaved heads. This one was definately some type of enforcer.  
  
The rat had stood up on legs folded unerneath its body, the wheels rotating to form shoulder guards of a sort. His eyes were intelligent and quick looking, but they had a sarcastic glint to them.  
  
The velociraptor had stood on legs that were folded into his chest as well, and the feet for the beast forms body had become hands with two fingers on one side and three on the other, interlocking with each other. He was holding his tail and it split to reveal a sword made of six end to end arrowheads, which he retreived before storing the outer shell of the tail on his back.  
  
The wolflike creature had landed on his back paws, and his legs straightened out a bit, giving him legs similar to a werewolf. His chest had split and seperated extending out to the side slightly, and a panel had flipped down from the new opening, revealing a round corelike device in the center of his chest, and the panel had formed what seemed like a loin-cloth in front of him, he spread his wings wide for a moment before relaxing and folding them into place behind him. Reaching behind him, he plucked two of the outermost feathers from his wings which grew a nasty looking sharp edge, appearing to be swords of some kind. (3)  
  
"Okay Maximals. Spread out and search. Use stun blasts if you have to protect yourselves, but ONLY if you have to. Go!" The other bots scattered at this command, breaking off in a standard search pattern. The one called Optimus stood a moment, then looked around, "Okay, you can come out now."  
  
Zero acked at this, (Holy crap!) before composing himself and stepping out of the shadows. "So what's with the sudden attendance drop? If you knew I was here why'd you split up your group?" Zero's finger twitched on the activation stud for his Z-sabre.  
  
"I don't want to fight. We've had some bad run-ins with alien artifacts before, and when I noticed you keeping quite well hidden in the shadows, I realized you were a bit more intelligent than they have been up to now. I just wanted to try reason first." The large robot had stored his blaster after the others had left, but his hand was near it just in case.  
  
Fortunately, his caution was unfounded as Zero relaxed a bit at Optimus' explanation. "Okay, so you don't want to fight me....You're not with that other group are you?"  
  
"What other group? You mean Megatron and his Predacons?"  
  
"Yeah, had a run-in with them over there near the Stonehenge monument. Said something about capturing me intact."  
  
"Yes, Megatron has been trying to destroy us to get at the Energon deposits here, even though most of it was destroyed or neutralized in the first alien superweapon's attack."  
  
"Well, that would explain it, wouldn't it? I don't really know how I got here anyway, but I'm not one of these alien Superweapons you thought I was. I've just had a problem with my teleporter and ended up here." Zero said as he indicated his gauntlet the teleporter was activated from.  
  
"Well, Rhinox is good with electronics, he should be able to figure it out. You got a name, Friend?"  
  
"Zero, just Zero."  
  
"Well Zero, welcome to the Beast Wars, name's Optimus Primal. I'll introduce the rest of the Maximals when we get back to base." After that Optimus turned and activated his communicator, "Optimus to Maximals, I've secured the alien artifact, and I'm bringing it back to base. Everyone, return to base." Jumping up a bit, he shifted to his vehicle mode, the robotic gorilla on a hoverboard. "Hop on, I'll give you a lift." Zero climbed up and sat across the back end of the board, and once he was settled, Optimus took off towards the Maximal ship.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
--Just communication starts playing--  
  
Okay okay, Megatron and his Minions got their asses handed to them, and Zero escaped only to be picked up by Maximals.  
  
Next chapter, Rhinox and Zero make a discovery about Zero's teleporter, and Dinobot...well, that would be telling wouldn't it? All this and more on the next Dimensional Travels!  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
(1) Okay, Time Discrepancy. We all know,(Meaning those who have seen the entire Beast wars Series or at least up to the Third or Fourth Season.) That Beast wars take place on ancient Earth just after the End of the "Ice Age". Well, Since the Solar System is one system in the Milky Way galaxy, we're rotating around the Galactic Core. This would produce a movement, and in my own hypothesis, the other systems and stars are also moving, but like the planets in out own system, they don't all move in the same speed or exact same direction. Given enough time, our galaxies systems and stars could change position in the sky. Though it would take millions and millions of years.  
  
(2) this is where the Time fluctuations come in officially, though Zero still doesn't realize what's going on. All the Dimensions In a single Mutliverse have the same basic history, the same planets, the same stars, but one of the major differences is that Time doesn't flow the same in every universe. It can be compared to pouring water from a jar onto several boxes that have been packed with sand. The water in all of the boxes goes towards the lower side, but each will cut a unique path to the bottom. and some get there sooner than others. Another major difference is that while having the same planets and galaxies, their placement may be different from universe to universe.  
  
(3) Hey, Ya gotta love Silverbolt, He and the alien enhanced and fused Tigertron/Airazor hybrid had to be the coolest Transformers in the Beast Wars series.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Hey guys, I'm cutting this chapter here, cause I'm about to go to my grandparents for the weekend. I'll put up the next chapter some time after I get back. This is harder for me to write because I haven't seen much of the second season of Beast Wars recently. I remember the Way the Robot forms look, But I can't remember exactly how they looked in their transformation sequences. Hence the kinda limited description of the transformations, I remembered a little of Optimus and Megatron, and since they are the leaders I focused on them, and then just described the others robot forms as best I could in relation to their beast/vehicle forms.  
  
C. Tenkoro: YAY! Granny's House! Granny's House! Can I take my bike? YAY!   
  
A. Tenkoro: feh...I can't believe I was ever that young...  
  
Until Next Chapter...  
  
Stay Vigilant, Hunters 


	5. TransDimensional Quantum Subspace Physic...

Dimensional Travels  
  
by Zero the Dimensional Traveler  
  
Aka zerotraveler, and Jammin2099  
  
Hey guys, this chapter is coming to me in bits and pieces...  
  
A. Tenkoro: You mean like all your other chapters?  
  
/SMASH! CRACK!  
  
anyway...--hides large broken bat behind his back-- I'm finally getting around to putting this up, Though if any of you guys out there have been reading any Fanfiction regularly at all, you should know not to expect regular updates. Sorry for the delays.  
  
Now, I have here a piece of paper... --holds up a complicated looking legal document-- that says I have to give other people their due for this story, and claim characters as their respective owners. So here they are.  
  
/ahem... A gallon of milk, three boxes of clothes washing detergent, sliced cheese, and..olive...loaf? OO Oops, Wrong sheet...  
  
--quickly puts away list and take out real legal document.--  
  
Ah! here it is... First off, Megaman, Megaman X and Megaman Zero series all do not belong to me, they belong to Capcom. The Zero in my story was heavily based off of the Zero from Red Draco's BNF(Bass is Not a Fish), ZT(Zero Tolerance), and TTYW(Trip Through Your Wires). These are all excellent stories and should be read to understand the universe Zero has come from. Genesis is a character from these three stories as well that I have mentioned in my story once or twice in the first chapter(That little demon fox, grrrr...), and I assume he was created by Red Draco, though I could be wrong. Please give Red Draco-sama the credit she deserves for inspiring this story in me. (....and pray she doesn't fry me to a crisp for certain things that will happen in the future...)  
  
"Power Rangers: Turbo": Yes, In this Chapter, I use the term "Blue Centurions" the Intergalactic Police Force from the "Power Rangers: Turbo" universe. I don't own these either.  
  
"Transformers: Beast Wars", and the "Transformers" concept and universes all belong to Hasbro Inc. (Lucky Ba... I mean gentlemen...) And even though every Megatron was an idiot, the Beast Wars Megatron has to be one of the coolest Main Villains ever...  
  
I'll go ahead and state this in advance to those of you that have Rp'ed with me in the Yahoo! chatrooms that may already know some of Zero's backstory, which is what this story is. has been asked by Mrs/Ms. (not sure which I should use there.) Mccaffery to not allow anything, including the creatures (the fire-lizards of Pern in this case), based off of her works. Therefore my story had to be rewritten slightly. I hope I can cover it correctly. Just a warning ahead of time for those that are aware of the change.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
I have gotten Artwork that fits the story! It doesn't really fit it perfectly right now, but it will by the end of the story. The magnificient piece was done by the amazing artist Jingu J, Who I thank profusely for agreeing to let me use this as the cover picture for my story. Bows over and over and over Doumo Arigato Jingu-dono!  
  
I will say once again, I think this Artwork really captures the tone of my story, or at least it will once it really gets going good.  
  
If you cannot get the pic to come up through my link, you can find the pic in the Maverick Zero Artwork section of Red-Draco-samas page (To be courteous to Red Draco-sama, I cannot provide a direct link to her copy of the Pic. But it was the winner of the Maverick Zero Art contest that Red-Draco held, so it shouldn't be too hard to find.) And while your there, you can read the stories that inspired this one, Bass is Not a Fish, Zero Tolerance, and Trip Through Your Wires.   
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Trans-Dimensional Quantum Subspace Physics (For Dummies! )  
  
or...  
  
"Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!!!!"  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
"We're coming up on our Base now." The "surfing" gorilla said over the wind to his passenger riding behind him.  
  
"Oh really? I thought we we're going to go for another free fall in the canyon." Said the crimson warrior riding on the back end of the hoverboard the gorilla was "surfing" on. "Man, That was fun! Say, maybe this time I'll actually hit the bottom before you can catch me!" His voice was laced heavily with sarcasm as he spat out his opinions.  
  
"I did try to warn you to hold on, you know."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever..." Zero grumbled out, trailing off into random mumbling and grumbling for a minute or two. Suddenly his head picked up as he noticed the structure come into view from around an outcropping. "Hey is that your base?"  
  
"Yeah, That's it, kind of a fixer-upper but we don't really have a choice."  
  
"It's right out in the open! Just about anybody could just waltz right in there!" Zero said as he got ready to get off the hoverboard.  
  
"Hey, Zero? I wouldn't do that if I were..." Optimus began, as Zero leapt off the board and started walking towards the base. "Computer, Shut down ? Well, that's just Prime....What a 'great' time to have Energon interference." he deadpanned watching what was inevitably about to happen.  
  
--Unidentified Artificial Lifeform Detected, No Clearance Allowed. Activating Auto-Defense Turrets...--  
  
Zero didn't notice the small panels opening all over the Maximal Base. Until they began firing bolts of plasma at him, and he caught a weak one to the face, that is. The explosion of energy blew Zero off his feet, landing him on his back, lying motionless in the dirt.  
  
--Motion detectors show area clear. Switching to infrared....--  
  
"Computer shut down auto-defense. Authorization: Prime-alpha-niner"  
  
--Acknowledged, Deactivating auto-defense systems.--  
  
Leaning over Zero, Optimus watched as he slowly recovered from the blast. "Once again, I did try to warn you. We have an Auto-defense perimeter to defend the base."  
  
"Stupid Rassa-frassa..." Zero grumbled out as the two of them entered the crashed Maximal ship.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
'A few hours later...'  
  
"Okay Maximals," Optimus began as he and the rest of them sat down for a debriefing. "Did you find anything other than the artifact?"  
  
Dinobot spoke up at this, "Negative commander, we did not find anything that would suggest, a second Artifact."  
  
After he had sat back down, Rhinox stood and moved over to the viewscreen setup in the room, "I went and checked out the surrounding area where we were searching, and found signs of a battle. It seems Megatron and his friends had a run in with our 'artifact'. I ran some scans and got some weird readings. Seems whatever came through was carrying some heavy duty quantum particles. They came up as being off frequency with the few I've found on this world."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Rattrap started, "Well, what's that got to do with our alien's little toy?"  
  
"Just a moment, Rhinox. I think you should all meet the visitor we got here. He's not from the Vor.(1) Come on in Zero."  
  
"WHAT?! You let that Alien 'thing' in here!?!" Rattrap yelled as he jumped up from his chair, "Is your logic function totally sla----OOF!" Rattraps tirade suddenly ended as Dinobot buried a fisted claw in his torso.  
  
As Rattrap sank to his knees, Dinobot sneered at him. "You would do well to remember your place, vermin! It is not our place to question the decisions of our commander." Turning away with a superior air, "I'm sure he has a GOOD reason for acting this way. Don't you 'Optimus'?" Dinobot last words came out as a low growl, and had a distinctly challenging tone to it.  
  
"Actually, I do. From what Zero's told me of what he knows, he's from this planet, but not this time period." Optimus said as Zero walked in and took a seat at the table. He waited a moment to allow the other Maximals to brace themselves. "He's actually from the future of this planet. Apparently, several aeons from now, in the future. He says he's a reploid, which is basically an android that can think and act on it's own, complete with feelings, emotions, everything."  
  
"Yeah, that's basically it. The main problem right now is that I was testing a new prototype teleportation unit..." Zero began, when he was cut off by Cheetor.  
  
"Teleportation unit? Wow, ultra gear! D'you think " the metallic cat trailed off as everyone else glared at him.  
  
"As I was saying, I was testing this prototype and I got hit with some strange build up of energy. When I came to eventually, I was in a strange medieval type world. Then a few hours after landing there, it happened again, and I had been teleported here."  
  
"Hmmm..."  
  
"You have a theory, Rhinox?" Optimus said to the rhino hybrid.  
  
"Well, maybe..." He began apparently trying to sort through the information he had from this. "I'd need to run some more tests, maybe get a few scans, before I can be sure."  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Later that evening...  
  
Zero was walking down the corridor to the Cargo Bay where he had been told he could stay, when he came to a figure standing in the hall.  
  
"You said you were this...Reploid..." Dinobot began as he stepped from the shadows hiding his face. "But I can tell from your movements....you are obviously a warrior. I do not believe it is possible to be skilled enough to easily escape Megatron, and then suddenly, and conveniently, show up on our doorstep." He continued as he lowered his sword at Zero. "You will tell me why you are really here…"  
  
"And if I don't?"  
  
"Then, I shall challenge you to battle, and your intentions shall become clear to me through your sword!" Dinobot sank into a battle stance as he finished speaking.  
  
Suddenly, a speaker set into the wall above them crackled to life, "Zero," came Rhinox's voice over the speaker, "Report to the science bay, I think I have some new information for you."  
  
A feral growl escaped from Dinobot as he punched a bulkhead in frustration, then put his weapons away. "Fine, you have been granted a reprieve today, but you will give me the answers I ask you for or you will meet me in battle. That, is a promise." After these final words, Dinobot turned roughly on his heel and stalked off, disappearing around the bend in the hallway.  
  
Zero watched him a moment more as he stalked away, and thought to himself, 'Now there's someone who reminds me of Sigma before he went maverick… Course Siggy didn't change all that much after he went maverick.' and with that thought, Zero turned to go to the science bay.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Rhinox was sitting at the computer going over more test results as Zero walked in. Turning slightly to get a look at who came in, Rhinox began, "I ran a scan of your structure Zero, and ran a few tests on the wavelengths I've been getting from it. Apparently, I was right, and you have been transporting between dimensions, but we were wrong about your dimension of origin. You're not from this dimension either."  
  
Zero stared at Rhinox for a moment, "What do you mean I'm not from this dimension? This is close to a million years in the past, but it's still Earth right?"  
  
"Yes, this is Earth, but not the one from your own dimension. The test I ran on the quantum signature you're giving off shows that it is different from this planet's, and when I compared your signature to my signature and the rest of the Maximals, It showed up different as well, meaning your not from our home dimension either." Rhinox turned back to the screen as he continued, bringing up a representation to help explain. "You said that when you normally teleport, your device converts you to energy, and targets an area at the destination coordinates that you enter, then the energy draws itself to that targeted area and reforms into your systems and person. It's slightly different with this Trans-dimensional technology, When you teleport with this system, apparently it starts normally and then, when the energy is being drawn to the target area it attempts to fold space over to create a miniature wormhole to shorten the distance to the target. What's been happening is your teleporter has been opening the wormhole on one end but the target end does not, so you get sent into subspace, and since normal matter cannot pass very long through subspace it pushes you out the first opening you come to.  
  
Zero sits back in a nearby chair, stunned. "O…okay Rhinox, so how do I get home? I mean, t-there's gotta be a way to get home, right?" When Rhinox doesn't answer him right away, he looks up, "Right?"  
  
Rhinox looks at his estimations for a moment, then turns back to Zero. "Yeah, Zero, there's a way to get back, you'd have to teleport again, and hope you get sent into the right dimension. However, the chances are against you on that count."  
  
"What do you mean? It can't be that hard right?"  
  
"You don't understand Zero, there are countless other universes out there, a myriad of other realities. While you might find any number of them that are similar to your reality, there would be slight differences in them, differences that could be anything from you being dead, to the world being a barren wasteland. It could take you years to find your home reality.  
  
"I still have to try. I don't care how long it'll take."  
  
"Yeah, I thought you would say something like that. I did take a look at your teleporter, and I couldn't fix it. I did, however, manage to enter a few lines of program code into its operating system. It should be able to tell you whether you match the quantum signature(2) in a dimension.  
  
"Thanks, Rhinox. Hey, you wouldn't happen to know anything about offensive plasma delivery systems would you?"  
  
Rhinox looked at Zero a bit strangely for a moment before speaking. "Yeah, most of our weapons use quantum energy power sources, but a few of them still use plasma chargers. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well," Zero began a bit hesitantly, "The first teleport kinda fried the power cell in my buster cannon, and I need to replace it to finish repairs. You have any spare plasma cartridges?"  
  
"Hrmmm..." Rhinox said as he thought about it. "Can I have a look at the power cell?"  
  
"Sure, just a second." Zero said as he opened the access panel on his left gauntlet. After fiddling around inside the opening for a moment, a small, rectangular box extended up out of Zero's wrist, which Zero removed and handed to the Maximal scientist, who immediately began closely examining the device.  
  
"Interesting design," Rhinox commented, "The plasma conduits in here are actually integrated into the power cell itself." Rhinox took it to the worktable in the center of the room and began taking it apart, setting each piece out as he removed it. "I don't know about this. The way it's setup, I might be able to jury-rig a new cell, but it wont be anywhere near as efficient. You would probably have to wait for it to recharge after every two shots or so, one if it has a charging function."  
  
::-Repairs to Second level processing complete. Re-initializing Computer personality protocols, Program name "Ai" Online and running.-::  
  
"That's fine, I tend to fight with my sabre anyway." Zero said off-hand, "As long as I can have some function on it again." Just as he finished saying that Zero winced suddenly.  
  
::-'ooooh my head, How long was I ou....WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE?!?! THESE SYSTEMS ARE A WRECK! DAMMIT ZERO!'-::  
  
"You OK, Zero?" Rhinox said, noticing Zero's wince.  
  
"Yeah, I'm....fine. Ai just woke up, and now I'm catching hell for being in such shoddy condition."  
  
"Ai?"  
  
"Yeah, the personality A.I. for my main computer core. She keeps track of all the systems I don't have time to worry about while in combat, and provides extra analytical information. She's not a required system, but it's better than talking to a monotone computer all the time."  
  
"Right...well, I'll need to get an intensive scan of your systems so I'll know how to configure the new power cell to your busters energy provisioning system," Rhinox stopped for a moment to point to a capsule shaped chamber on the wall, "So if you'll step into the CR chamber over there, I'll get to work."  
  
Zero stepped over to the CR chamber, then got in and relaxed as the harness caught him and held him in place, while the door closed. A few moments later Zero went into standby mode to wait for Rhinox to finish.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
:::A few hours later:::  
  
The CR chambers door hissed with released air as it's door unsealed and then opened, revealing a much less-harried Zero. The chamber had repaired all of Zero's external damage while he was in there being scanned. Rhinox held up a box to him as he stepped out, circuitry gleaming dully on it's surface in the lights of the science bay.  
  
"It's finished," Rhinox started, "Your system A.I. helped a lot with some of the finer points of the Buster system, so I think you may get three shots or one charged shot out of it before it will need to recharge. It needs about half a cycle to recharge, so I suggest using it sparingly." Rhinox handed the power cell over, which Zero quickly replaced into his buster, and closed the panel over it. "and we managed to use the reading your sensors got from the teleportation unit to shield the cell from whatever it is that fried it, but it's untested. It should work though."  
  
"Thanks Rhinox." -and thanks to you too Ai.- Zero added mentally.  
  
::-"Not a big deal, Zero. But you need to remember there's two of us in here! You get us blasted to hell and back again and I'll deactivate you while I do repairs!"-::  
  
-Aw, and here I thought you didn't care about me, Ai..-"...OW!" Zero yelped as the polarity of his energy pathways was reversed.  
  
Looking on at what was apparently an internal conversation, Rhinox shrugged and continued, "From what I gathered on your systems you've got about another two and a half cycles before your next jump, If the energy buildup continues at the same rate."  
  
"Right, I'll just have to hope it sends me back. I'll be outside, Rhinox. Later" Zero waved two fingers behind him as he walked out the door.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
:::Outside the Maximal ship.:::  
  
"So, you finally finished...your business with Rhinox?" Dinobot said, leaping down between Zero and the ship as he stepped off the elevator platform. "Maybe now you will...reconsider answering my questions?" Already, Dinobot had converted to robot mode and was wielding his weapons at the ready.  
  
"I already told you the truth, Dinobot. You're chasing shadows, now get off my case!" Zero said drawing his own sabre.  
  
"I told you, I will get the answers I want or I will download them from your dismantled remains! Defend yourself!" and with that Dinobot leapt at him, sword raised high to strike.  
  
With a resonant :snap-hiss:, Zero's sabre ignited, swinging up to meet Dinobot's attack. The two weapons clashed and locked(3), the two warriors calmly staring each other down as they fought to break their opponents lock. Struggling against each others strength, the two seemed at a stalemate, when Dinobot's eyes suddenly took on an eerie green glow. With that being his only warning, Zero's eyes widened slightly, and he jerked his weight backward, throwing his head back, and trying to roll away. Just as Zero began to fall backward, Dinobot fired his eye lasers, the twin beams narrowly missing the crimson reploids face, then it was Dinobot's turn to be surprised as Zero rolled onto his back dragging Dinobot over him and then kicked him away, using the momentum to launch the saurian Maximal into the air.  
  
"Well, after that, I guess I can't trust you as far as I can throw you Dinobot." Zero taunted as he leapt back to his feet.  
  
Dinobot leapt back up at the barb, and grabbing his sword from where it landed, charged in on Zero again. This time Zero went on the attack, bringing his sabre around in a feint at Dinobots head before whirling around and dropping low for a kick aimed to knock Dinobot off his feet. Amazingly though, Dinobot ducked slightly for the feint and leapt over Zero's kick, rolling behind him, and leaping forward from his crouch, to strike at Zero's unprotected back.  
  
A sudden twinge in Zero's mind surprised him for a moment, then his instincts acted on the strange feeling and he jumped upwards and over Dinobots leap landing behind Dinobot just before he could turn around to face him. Shaking his head to clear it, Zero and Dinobot charged each other, meeting in a furious whirlwind of strikes and slashes, both of them blocking and counter-attacking over and over. Faster and faster the sounds of their weapons clashing resounded, until finally they broke apart, leaping away from each other. They both were breathing heavily, their exertions evident as they sat, Zero crouched to one knee, and Dinobot doubled over, both with their eyes locked on one anothers face, as they both allowed the other to recover while waiting for some unseen signal that would begin the battle again.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
:::On the Command center deck of the Maximal Ship.:::  
  
"Hey Rattrap, Get a load of this!" Cheetor called over to the rodent as he watched the battle on the outer surveillance cameras. "Dinobot's fighting with that Zero guy!"  
  
"Eh? Ol' Chopperface and Spikey-head are fightin' each other? Let 'em scrap each other I say. Hey, uh...Move over so I can see." The Rodent Maximal said as he converted to robot mode and sat down to watch. Now, if we only had some cyber-soda, and some particle-popcorn, this'd be just like a..."  
  
"....ahem..." said a voice from behind them. Suddenly Cheetor and Rattrap froze, and then slowly turned around to find the face of a rather upset Optimus. "Well?"  
  
"O-o-o-optimus! Hey, uh when did you get here?" Rattrap said nervously, looking about for escape as Cheetor simply froze in place.  
  
"Oh about five microns before you said, 'let 'em scrap each other.' What's going on here?" The large Maximal commander asked.  
  
"Z-z-z-zero and Dinobot....are kinda...beating the nuts and bolts....out of each other..." Cheetor nervously admitted. Optimus looked past them to the viewscreen at the raging battle going on and then watched as they stopped for a moment to rest. He watched them for a moment, then turned away from the two rigid subordinates.  
  
"I thought that would happen sooner or later. Let 'em get it out of their systems, they're not going to damage anything." Optimus said, waving the situation off as though it happened every day.  
  
"Wait, so, uh... you're not going to stop them? What if they DO damage something?" Rattrap asked, the two maximals suddenly relieved they weren't being reprimanded.  
  
"They won't, and I can't interfere. Dinobot wouldn't stop even if I asked him to, and Zero is more than likely the same way. They're both fighting on their honor now, so let them get it out of each others systems." Optimus walked out and headed for the storage bays. "Oh and Cheetor, I suggest you and Rattrap get back to monitoring the perimeter, like I ordered you to." The last bit came out as an order, and you could feel the iron lacing Optimus's voice.  
  
"Yes Sir!" Cheetor yelped, gulping nervously afterwards.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
:::Back at the Battlefield  
  
As they both sat recovering, Zero called over to Dinobot, "Heh, not bad....for a dinosaur...like you."  
  
"Hrrrggh, I must admit...that you are...a worthy opponent as well. Never...have I known...such a challenge to my skills." Dinobot said as he slowly pulled himself upright again. "Truly, this is a glorius battle."  
  
"Heh, my thoughts exactly. You ready?" Zero asked as he brought his sabre up level with his eyes, in an old gesture of respect to an opponent duelist.  
  
"I am always ready!" Dinobot shouted as he brought up his own sword.  
  
A few moments later they leapt at each other, and the battle was joined anew. Their leaps carried them past each other again and again, their weapons flashing into action at each pass. The sounds of their struggle sounded out across the plain as they continued to fight, both of them giving their all. It went on for an hour or more, as they both refused to surrender. However in the end, Zero finally made the critical error, and misjudged the distance of his next strike, sending him off balance for a critical moment. Dinobot capitalized on it almost immediately, spinning himself into a roundhouse kick that sent Zero flying into the rockwall behind him.   
  
Zero struggled to his feet, his lip cut and bleeding slightly, his stance weak and shaky. Dinobot landed a few meters from him and wasn't in much better condition. His sword arm shook as he leveled his blade at Zero, whose sabre was up at his defense. They both sat there a moment to recover as much as possible, Zero pulling himself together and straightening his stance, while Dinobot took note of Zero relaxing sword arm and stood himself in place, his own sword arm relaxing.  
  
They both stood quietly watching once again for the unseen signal, before suddenly charging in and leaping high for the final strike. Both landed heavily on the other side of each other facing away, their weapons held frozen in the position of the final attack.  
  
"Well, are you satisfied now?" Zero said, quietly.  
  
Dinobot was quiet for a moment, then said, "Yes, you fight with more honor than any opponent I have faced. To most Predacons honor means nothing. I see the truth to your words now.  
  
"Great, so could you give me a hand back to your base? Wake me when we....get...there..." Zero trailed off as he passed out into the dirt. He landed on his back as he fell, a single deep gash showing in the center of the chestplate of his armor.  
  
Dinobot trudged over to where Zero had fallen, and grabbed him by the front of his armor, then slung one of Zero arms over his shoulder as he began walking back to base.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
:::Later, In the Repair bay/Science lab of the Maximal Base:::  
  
:: .25 cycles to next transfer ::  
  
"Man! Can I get one of those CR chambers? They work better than my Repair pod back home!" Zero said as he stretched after a looong recovery in the CR chamber. The gash in the front of his armor had been repaired, and all the numerous dents had vanished.  
  
"Sorry, they're not exactly portable." Optimus said with a grin, as he let Zero out of the chamber. "And according to Rhinox, we don't exactly have time to download the appropriate schematics into a disc for you."  
  
"Oh yeah, The teleporter thing. Well, thanks for the repairs and the information Optimus, I hope you guys get back to your home dimension in one piece."  
  
"The same to you Zero, and I hope you find home as well."  
  
At this point, Zero's right gauntlet began to glow with the now familiar multi-faceted energy. as it began to build-up to critical. Optimus opened the roof hatch above them as Zero moved to stand beneath it. "Well, been nice and all, but I've got to go apparently. Keep improving Dinobot, If I see you again, I'll beat you next time!" At this, Optimus, Zero and...Dinobot amazingly enough, began to laugh.  
  
"Good bye Zero, Safe journey my friend." Optimus finished, stepping back as the glow became blinding, then Zero's teleporter activated, and Zero blasted into the sky in a beam of crimson energy, and vanished into the Dimensional rift in space.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
:::Out in the deserted valley:::  
  
"Hmmmm....there was a battle here! heh heh hehe hehhehe! Wha....What's this? A piece of the weapon that Alien artifact was using! The solid particle construct technology!(4) I must get this back to my lab at once! Tarantulus! Vehicle mode!"  
  
And a motorcycle that looked similar to a spider tore off across the desert, headed for Predacon territory.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Chapter End  
  
--booting up secondary informational data...  
  
--Complete.  
  
(1)Vor, the Aliens that "created" the Energon planet(apparently from later episodes it would appear to be Earth) that Beast Wars takes place on, Has spoken to Optimus Primal (when they appeared to him in the alien dome as Unicron) and to Tarantulus(though only a few moments as in the next moment, they collided with a power conduit and caused it to explode, destroying both them and Tarantulus in the process.  
  
(2)Quantum Signature: okay, now this one I got directly from the one episode of Star trek TNG that I actually sat down to watch. The episode was called "Parallels" and In it the Klingon Guy is coming back from some competition and ends up in a different universe, The android, Data, Discovers that the Worf is actually from a parallel Dimension because his "Quantum signature" is slightly off frequency with the rest of the universe. Good theory, and I used in here to explain how they knew Zero was extra-dimensional  
  
(3)the Z-sabre: Zero's sabre is not like the Star wars sabre that cuts through anything, Zero's sabre is actually a solid particle Energy construct, created by the usage of particles to create a blade-shaped field that is highly repelling to other solid objects. True, Zero can cut through just about anything with his Z-sabre, but if struck with another weapon that is forged correctly, It will react as a normal blade. (and besides, It would have been a very boring fight if Zero had just cut through Dinobot sword at the beginning.)  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
Well, that's the end of this chapter, I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!!!!! (PHEW!!!!!)  
  
As always, thanks go out to Red-draco-sama and Aria-dono for helping with the inspiration, and many thanks go out once again to Jingu-dono for letting me use her Artwork as the cover for this story.  
  
I have worked on this chapter for months now, and I think I finally got it right, So this is for all you who have waited so patiently for it.   
  
Please Review! and tell me if theres anything you want to see in the next chapter, like specific abilities, New weapons, or characters new or old.  
  
I am posting this, and then I am working full-time on my New Digimon Fic, "Destiny of Honor"  
  
and possibly on my next Songfic, the Sakura and Syaoran "Things I Want To Tell You"  
  
Please!!! I'm Begging you!!! Please please please Review!!!!! ; okay now that my shameless pleading is done...  
  
Ja ne!  
  
zerotraveler  
  
aka Jammin-2099, Zero the Dimensional Traveler  
  
As always,  
  
Stay Vigilant, Hunters. 


	6. A Magical Alliance: Swords and Cards Par...

Hello again, Zero the Dimensional Traveler here with another chapter of everyone's favorite Inter-dimensional Zero 'Fic

---------

Dimensional Travels: Chapter 6

A Mystical Alliance: Swords and Cards

---------

"I hate Zombies..." Zero sighed as he cut down another of the slow, shambling humanoids. "They just don't give one any kind of challenge." He ducked under an ungraceful swing from a second zombie as he spun to sweep the legs out from under a third before leaping over head and slicing the two to ribbons. "If they only would try a little harder..."

"Graaaahlll..." a rumbling voice ground out from the top of a nearby wall. The creature leapt from the edge and landed next to Zero, whipping it's tentacle out and around to try and catch Zero's legs.

"Well, Hello Brighteyes! Now here's a zombie that just won't give up..." Zero said sarcastically, "I thought I told you to stay in that trash compactor," he said to the monstrosity as he jumped away from capture and landed atop a broken street light. "I know the accommodations were a bit snug, what with the compactor crushing all that garbage and all, bu—oof!" he gasped as the creature suddenly leapt up and slammed a fist into his torso.

"STAAAARRRSS..." the Nemesis growled out as it flung Zero away before going to pick-up its rocket-launcher.

A small energy pellet flew past it's hand and impacted first, causing the Launcher to explode. "Now, now, can't have that. Now where were..." Zero began but stopped as his gauntlet started to glow with a familiar light. "Oh well, looks like it's time for me to go. Later, Brighteyes." Zero quipped as he teleported.

---------

(Authors note: For those of you sticklers for continuity, This is where the first chapter of my support 'Fic "Road Journal of a Wandering Reploid" would go in the timeline.)

---------

It was night, and the wind was blowing gently as a young girl stood atop one of the taller buildings in the city. Off in the distance, a radio tower could be seen, and two figures were seen standing on opposite sides from one another. The figure on the right side of the tower was Dark, his face shaded by his cloak, and he seemed to radiate malice and hatred, while the figure on the right side was a deep crimson, and while his armor he wore was covered in spikes and sharp corners, he seemed to give off a righteous aura, as if ready to handle anything. The crimson figure gave the girl a feeling of safety, if nothing else. Then, both figure turned and leapt toward each other, weapons materializing in their hands, and as they met, the girl was blinded by a brilliant white light, and...

---------

"Wake up! Wake up, Sakura! You're going to be late!" The familiar voice of her guardian shouted in her ear.

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" Sakura groaned, as she rolled out of her bed. "It's Sunday, Kero. We don't have school on Sunday." She grumbled out towards the small flying stuffed animal.

"No, but you do have Tomoyo, Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu waiting to go shopping with you today." Kero said as he floated down into his drawer. Sakura was up in an instant, a whirlwind of activity as she dressed for the day.

"Hoeee....I forgot! I'm gonna be late!" She groaned as she finished the last part, dropping Kero into her bag as she dashed out the door.

----------

In a park, the sun was just coming out from behind some clouds, when the clouds parted, and a small rift opened. Soon a gateway had formed and a beam of crimson energy streaked out, smashing into the ground and scorching it as the energy condensed and reformed into a humanoid figure. A moment later the glow had subsided and the figure opened his eyes to the area.

"Man, I don't think I'll ever get used to that..." Zero groaned as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in the lights intensity. "Wha...what?! A giant penguin?!?" He said as his buster came up instinctually. Then his aim relaxed as he realized, "Oh... Just a statue... Man, I'm getting too paranoid." He grumbled as he looked around. "Ai, you know where we are?" He said, trying to find some sort of sign or other landmark on or around the tall buildings he could see outside the park.

_I've managed to get a connection to some of the satellites they have in orbit in this universe. Apparently we're in a prefecture of Tokyo, Japan. A place called Tomoeda. _

Climbing up on the side of the statue, Zero took a look at what he could see outside the park. "Well, I can see a lot of humans, but there aren't any other Reploids in sight. What's the teleporter telling you?"

_Well, the wavelength is similar, but it doesn't match our world. This is, unfortunately, not home. _

"Well, that's to be expected I guess. Can't expect to find one universe out of an infinite number of them by accident. What about the teleporter? How long is it until the next jump?"

_ That last jump was a pretty long one, and the power levels in the teleporter are showing up as very low. I'd say the last jump almost completely drained it. In other words... _

"...In other words, we're going to be here a while." Zero finished for her a bit sarcastically. "Ok, well it's a good thing we grabbed a good bit of those gems from that mining world we we're on a few worlds back. But, with a world full of humans, I'm gonna stand out in this armor. What the status of my Armor Conversion system?"

_Well, the system is working at minimum efficiency. It should be okay to change to your Unarmored form, but I would not suggest trying to convert to your higher armored forms yet. _

"Duly noted, Ai." Looking around, Zero spotted an alcove in the side of the statue from earlier. Leaping down from the side of the statue, Zero slipped into the darkened inside of the statue, and activated the conversion protocol. Zero glowed slightly for a moment, his armor lighting up with a mysterious crimson light that illuminated the inside of the statue, then it faded leaving him in unarmored form.

Unfortunately, it also neglected to materialize his clothes, leaving him rather exposed. "AI! Where's my clothes!

_Oops! Let's try that again..._ Ai apologized as she reinitialized the program and Zero reconverted, this time reforming wearing a pair of his off-duty jeans and a black T-shirt, with a trench coat over both of them. The last thing to change was his helmet disappearing, which released his hair from the ponytail it was kept in while his helmet was on. Zero quickly gathered his hair, and refastened it with a rubber band he found in one of his coat pockets. Stepping out of the statue alcove, Zero looked no less human than any other person. As he walked over to the other exit of the park, he didn't notice the group of girls that walked up the path along the other side of the park, who jumped to the side and peeked out from around the bushes at him.

---------

"Hey guys, look at that!" Chiharu said, watching the gaijin on the other side of the park. "Who is that?" She said as the other girls also got a good look at him.

"Wow, he's...he's..." Rika stuttered as she watched the blonde haired stranger secure his hair in place.

"Is he American?" Naoko asked as they all watched the stranger with love-struck eyes.

"Come on, you three. It's only a...." Sakura trailed off as he turned towards them and they got a look at his ice-blue eyes.

"He's got the dreamiest Blue eyes..." Chiharu mumbled as they all swooned. All the other girls nodded numbly as they watched him start to turn away.

"Hey! He's leaving!" Tomoyo said, as the other girls recovered.

"Hey! Chiharu! Sakura! You two have Yamazaki and Syaoran-kun! Leave one for the single girls, ne? Rika giggled out at the two, now blushing, girls.

"When did I "get" Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked, "Sure he's nice and all... and...and..." she manged to get out before her face turned even redder. "Hoeee... you guys are horrible!" she mumbled out...

"Aww... come on Sakura, we're only teasing!" Tomoyo said, hugging Sakura from the side. "Come on you guys, that new fabric shop just opened and I want to get there early." She said, pulling Sakura along with her. The other girls snapped out of their daze a moment later, and ran after Sakura and Tomoyo.

"Hey, wait up! Don't leave us behind! We're coming!"

---------

Zero stepped out of the Jewelry shop a few hours later, slipping his new found wealth into a pocket on his coat. "Wow, that was great that I found a shop that would appraise and buy that junk off me. I thought I had grabbed the lower quality gems. Guess I lucked out." Zero said as he considered the good deal he had gotten from the kindly old man running the shop.

Of course, he noticed almost immediately that he was being followed as well. Not showing any signs of noticing he stepped casually into a nearby alleyway. The three guys following him hesitated a moment, then followed him into the alley, but stopped suddenly when they discovered the dead-end alley empty. "Hey, where'd he go?"

"Can't I land in just 'One' civilized society that doesn't have stupid two-bit thieves?" Zero groaned in irritation from his position atop the building next to the alley. Shaking his head in resignation, Zero turned to leave. "Oh right, stupid question."

_I could have told you that, Zero. _

"Shut up, Ai."

_Oh, Yes Sir!_

"I knew you talking with Rattrap before we left that universe was a bad idea..." Zero grumbled.

--------

That evening in the park, the scorched ground where Zero had landed and the surrounding area began to illuminate with a mystical light. A mystic circle etched into the ground appeared, and rose up slightly from the ground, hovering above the grass. Where the circle intersected with the scorched ground, the symbol was broken, the area inside the scorched area missing, and being broken, the circle soon faded and shattered, scattering it's energies into a thousand tiny motes of light. Deep below where the mystical symbol had been placed; far, far beneath the ground, an ancient evil began to awaken.

"Soon....soon I shall break the final barriers, and I shall be free again..." A voice spoke in the darkness, "...and I shall cast into darkness the legacy of he who imprisoned me... You will all learn to fear me! Especially you, Clow Reed." The voice said, then a pulse of dark energies burst forth, and the presence slept again.

All over Tomoeda, this dark pulse was felt; In a house a few blocks away from the park, one Syaoran Li awoke suddenly when his Lasinboard activated on it's own, and fell silent again a moment later. A few blocks away, the Kinomoto family and Kero all awakened suddenly, feeling a cold chill wash over them. On a street not far from the penguin park, Tsukishiro Yukito spontaneously transformed into his true form, Yue, and a dark expression washed over his features as he dropped to his knees from the strain of being so close to the dark magic.

...And in a well-built mansion just outside the city, a young boy, Eriol Hiriigizawa, awakened suddenly. His breath short and quick, he shuddered at the sudden burst of dark magic. "He....he is returning... I must warn the others.

---------

"What was that energy we picked up Ai?" Zero said as he settled into a chair in the apartment he had just rented. The owner had been more than willing to rent it to him, as he paid in cash up front.

_I'm not sure, it doesn't match any energy signatures we have on file. If I had to make a guess though, I'd say someone is powering something huge, but it's gone now, so I couldn't tell you for sure. I can't even trace it._ Ai replied, rolling her readings across Zero's sight.

"Well, guess all we can do is ignore it. It's not like we can do anything about it right now. By the way, Ai, What the status of our repairs?"

_Running Diagnostic, Listing system status. _

_ Head unit: Central Processing _

_ On line: No errors _

_ Torso Unit: Armor and Unit Energy Core _

_ Armor is operational, Status: 100 _

_ Armor conversion unit: minimal efficiency, 50 damage _

_ Energy Core: Operational, No flaws detected. _

_ Leg units: EAS and mobility _

_ Mobility: servos at 100 repairs completed _

_ EAS: Emergency Acceleration System, Functional_

_ Weapons system: Z-Buster, Z-Sabre, and Ascendant Protocols._

_ Z-Buster- Status: 50, Replacement core is functional, but unit recommends replacement._

_ Z-Sabre- Uplink with Installed DNA Soul Upgrades repaired, listing._

_Hyouretsuzan: Ice-element Sabre reactivated _

_Ryuenzan: Fire-element Sabre reactivated _

_Raijingeki: Lightning-element Sabre reactivated; Whip mode reactivated. _

_Rakuhouha: Area-coverage Giga-crash Weapon reactivated; Warning, Use of Giga-crash _

_ capabilities will cause a drain on all systems until further repairs are completed, Shutdown for repairs _

_ and recharge will occur within moments after activating the Giga-crash _

_ Ascendant Protocols: Weapon Acquisition System _

_ Data Defragmentation at 65, New information recovered, Downloading schematics to weapon  
utilization centers. _

_ That's it, Zero. Like it said, I've finished defragmenting over half of the Ascendant data, and apparently some of the information that was encoded was new weapons other than your sabre. It appears to have information on a Spear of some kind and a light shield, I'll work on reconstructing the schematics, but you'll have to upgrade your weapons and build the new ones. _

"Well, I guess Wily did have me planned for a warrior." Zero said as he looked over the weapon schematics scrolling across his gauntlet monitor. "But I don't think I can get many of these components here, it'll probably have to wait." Zero yawned, stretching himself out, then fell back into the chair he was sitting in. "Let's call it a night, Ai. We'll pick up tomorrow, maybe I can find some components that will work with the new weapon configurations. "

_Good night Zero. Activating standby mode._

---------

**The next morning...**

"YAAAAAAWWWWWWNNN..." Zero said as he walked into the shopping district, wandering through, he kept up a conversation with Ai in his mind. 'So, have you found a store that sells the electronic components we need?'

_Yes, but we may need to improvise a bit. I don't think they have exactly what we need, but we should be able to find the components we need for the spear weapon. First though, you need to go into the sports equipment store there, we need a collapsible staff for the haft of the weapon._

"Ok, I'll..." Zero began, but an explosion down the street interrupted him. Shielding his eyes from the flash glare, Zero began running down the street towards the site of the explosion. "Man, I sleep in for one day, and the universe I'm in starts going to hell in a handbasket." Zero grumbled as he raced down the street.

_--------_

Well, this is my first chapter in a while, Sorry there's not much action in it, but this was really to set up the next few chapters. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is in the Cardcaptor Sakura universe. Yes, we all know Sakura is in love with Syaoran and won't admit it and vice versa. Yes we all know Yukito is Yue. Ok, well this takes place after Sakura has changed all the cards, and as if Syaoran did not have to leave. Yue has received the Infusion of Power he needed from Touya, meaning that Touya doesn't have his magical sight anymore, but because of his magical heritage he was able to sense the burst of dark magic, which is why he woke up as well. Eriol is the reincarnation of Clow, sorry for the spoilers, but you should know this already. Yes, Its "Haft" I looked it up.

As for a Disclaimer: I don't own any right to Zero, or anything from the "Megaman" series, they belong to Capcom. I don't own any rights to Syaoran Li, Kinomoto Sakura, Daidouji Tomoyo, or anything else from the "Cardcaptor Sakura" universe. That's it for the specific disclaimers, anything else that I might use doesn't belong to me either, and probably only gets a passing mention. Resident Evil, I don't own any rights to that either

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_From the Justice League Unlimited episode where Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern are turned into kids._

"_What's up with them?" Chibi-Superman_

"_Boy, for a guy with like fifty different kinds of vision, You sure are blind." Chibi-Green Lantern_


	7. Swords and Cards Part 2

Dimensional Travels

by jammin-2099

Hello again, Zero here. Got another Chapter for all you people who like this story. If you DO like this story, Please Review, Please? I mean I'm trying my best here... Hopefully the choice of dimensions hasn't turned you off from the story. If it has, then I'm sorry about not using a dimension you liked. This story has been close to three years in the writing from it's beginnings as a backstory for my RP character. After a year or so, It took on a life of it's own, and now, I'm trying to get these stories out to the public before they cause my brain to implode with Ideas. Now I kinda know how the writers for all those webcomics feel. My name is jammin-2099, this is the end of my rant.

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Chapter 7:

A Mystical Alliance: Swords and Cards

Part 2: A Lesson in Demons

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Zero ran up to the square, stopping just behind a smashed car that had landed upside down from being blasted by the demon. "Ai, can you get me a scan of that thing?"

--_I'm trying, Zero. It's like it's some sort of sensor ghost, it shows up as being there, but the scanners can't lock down what it is. At this point I can't even tell whether it's alive or not.--_

"Well, we can't just let it rampage," Zero said as he winced from another heavy blast that seared it's way past where he was hiding. "We've got to stop it, or it might hurt the civilians!"

_--Well, I would suggest ducking into that alley, before you change back to your armor, and be careful, we don't need to make ourselves known until you're ready to attack.--_

"Right, I'll keep that in mind..." Zero dead-panned, before checking around the car to watch for an opening. Seeing the monstrosity turn it's back to him, he dodged across the street towards the buildings, accessing his armor exchange system as he did so. He landed in a roll into the alley, popping up to his feet as he entered, and beginning to glow as he landed heavily on the concrete. After a moment, the light flashed and he was adorned in his armor again, the stylized "Z" symbol on his shoulder armor flashing slightly as the conversion finished.

"Ok, let's go" He said to himself as he leapt up onto the wall, and began kicking his way up to the top, his boosters keeping him up against the wall each time he kicked away.

_-----------------_

Sakura was talking to her friends at a small cafe, just after school had let out.

"So? Did any of you guys see Him again?" Chiharu asked the rest of the girls sitting at the table. Given the amount of significance put on the word "Him" it was rather easy to tell who she meant.

"No..." Naoko groaned. "It's like he vanished off the face of the planet or something, or maybe....Hey, wait a minute, isn't that him?" She said with a start, pointing to a nearby sports shop.

"Hey you're right Naoko I wonder what he's looking for." Tomoyo said as they watched his graceful movements as he seemed to slide down the sidewalk. "Hey maybe he...Ahh!" Tomoyo shouted, shielding her eyes from the sudden flash as she was cut off by a loud explosion that sounded from down the street.

"Monster! Demons! Run for your lives!" People screamed as they ran away from where the explosion had sounded. Suddenly a loud, bestial roar sounded from where the explosion had gone off, and Sakura began to get the chilling feeling she had learned meant there was Dark magic nearby.

It only confirmed the problem when Sakura saw Syaoran land on a nearby rooftop, in his battle garb, and his sword already out. As her friends began to leave with the running crowd, Sakura quickly ducked away and brought out her wand.

With a cry of -JUMP!- Wings appeared on her shoes, and she leapt to the top of the building Syaoran was on, where he joined her as they started moving towards the disturbance.

"I thought you said we had taken care of the major problems Kero!" She said as she hauled the diminuitive guardian out of her purse. "I...Kero?" She said a bit worriedly as she noticed the shocked expression on his face.

"This is serious Sakura..." Kero said, his voice shaky. "This isn't like the Clow cards. The danger is very real. This is an actual demon we're facing." He continued, his face whitened from the shock. "It's not like capturing Cards, you can't seal demons with the wand, you have to destroy them or send them away with a banishing spell, and he could very easily kill you, if you're not careful."

"Well?!" Sakura said in a slightly scared voice, although she hid it rather well. "We can't just sit here and do nothing! Come on, Syaoran!" She said as she leapt forward, heading for where the monster was rampaging. Syaoran was right behind her, his own leaps not quite as long as Sakura's but greater than any normal human could accomplish.

They landed in the square, across from the demon that was destroying the shops. It was a hideous creature, a hulking beast, with jagged, bloody teeth, and long sharp claws. It was covered in a sort of fine black fur that was raised into a sharp mohawk like ridge on it's back, and it wreaked of death and chaos. Sensing the new magical presences that had just landed nearby, It whirled towards Syaoran and Sakura, and roared a beastly, unsettling howl at them.

Syaoran had wasted no time as he focused on his energies, his sword flashing in the complicated movements of an Element spell. Tossing the mystical ofuda out in front of him, he braced his hand along the flat of his blade and channeled his energy through the slip of parchment.

"Element: Fire!" He yelled as a burst of flame erupted from the ofuda and lashed out towards the demon. The flame smashed into the creature, knocking it off balance, and staggering it for a moment. By this time, Sakura had recovered from her own shock and brought her wand around. She held up a card as she began to chant, "Sear the enemy with powerful flames! Firey!" As she finished the chant she pointed her wand at the floating card, which burst into flames and quickly formed into a firey man, who quickly rushed forward and engulfed the demon. The creature roared that sickening howl again as it fell to the ground covered in the raging flames. Syaoran and Sakura watched, their weapons ready as the creature continued to burn.

Suddenly the demon began to stand up again, and it became apparent the Firey was straining to keep him pinned down. Soon after the flames burst apart completely, reforming in Sakura's hand as the Firey card. In an instant, the demon had leapt towards them and it swung a fist around as it reached them, smashing the clenched claw into a hasty block brought up by Syaoran. Syaoran went flying as his defense crumbled under the massive strength, and landed not too far away from where he had been hit. The creature growled at Sakura for a moment, but then turned and stalked towards Syaoran.

"Youuu...." the creature ground out, it's voice gravelly sounding, as if it had gone through a rock crusher. "Youuu are the one the masster ssent uss after. First we shall deal with you, and then we will deal with your friend." the demon said as it stalked closer to Syaoran who had pulled himself up by his sword, and had just recovered from the last hit.

"I don't think so..." came a grim voice from no where, and suddenly a bolt of some kind of energy shot down from a rooftop and smashed into the creatures side, sending it flying back into a tree across from Syaoran. "I'm having a really bad day, and you're just the outlet I'm looking for." the voice continued, as a figure in crimson armor leapt down from the roof the shot had come from. His armor was all sharp corners except for his large rounded boots, and his helmet was a mass of spikes, with a golden mane of hair descending from a tie-off in the back. His face was covered by a visor and facemask concealing his features as he said, "So come on, sunshine. Let's see what you can do."

---------

'So Ai? Any new information?' Zero asked mentally as he leapt from the roof of the building.

--_Sorry Zero, I can't get any reading from it. Whatever it is, I can't scan it.--_ Ai responded, but Zero had already landed and had dashed forwards, towards the monster.

"Here, how 'bout we play with some fire?" Zero shouted as his sabre began to turn a firey red colour, and he suddenly dropped into a lower run at the creature.

The monster roared again as it brought it's fist above it's head, and smashed it to the ground hoping to crush this insect that had dared to attack it. It's eyes widened slightly as it saw Zero suddenly blur to the side of where the fist landed and scream _"Ryu-_

_En-ZAN!",_ before suddenly leaping upwards, his sword slashing a blazing slice upwards across the demon's chest that lifted the monster off of its feet while lighting it aflame, and sent it smashing into the ground a few feet away.

The creature howled as it's flesh burned from the flames of Zero's attack, lying in the crater it had created. Slowly the flames lowered and finally burnt out, the howls of pain subsiding with the fire.

----------

Sakura watched as the Armored man leapt forward into battle with the creature, before remembering Syaoran leaning on his sword. "Syaoran-kun! Hold on!" She shouted to him as she noticed him falter a little from his braced stance. She edged around the battle, running to Syaoran's side, who practically collapsed into her arms as she arrived. "Hold on, I'll use the Healing card." She said as she pulled it out, readying her wand.

"N....No, Sakura...Save yo....your strength..." He strained out, stopping her from using it, "you need to.... tell that...that guy f....fighting the demon....that Fire Ele...elementals won't work...on it."

"But Syaoran you're..." she began, shifting him to better consider his wounds.

"I'll be...fine, Sakura...go help him...with the monster." Syaoran said, lowering himself to the ground and pushing Sakura towards the battle. "Go!" he urged, as Sakura hesitantly turned and ran towards the man in red armor.

--------

"Well, that was rather anti-climactic." Zero sighed as he turned away from the smoking crater that had been left. "I mean, most Mavericks could withstand at least ONE Ryuenzan."

_-Only you would be bored with a victory over an unknown adversary, Zero.- _Ai quipped.

"Oh, be quiet you. All that build up, and I took him down in one attack. Sometimes it sucks to be m....What?" He said as he noticed a girl running towards him holding a baton of some sort, and shouting something. It took a minute for his translation to come through, and when it did...

"Hey! Fire doesn't work! He's still alive!" The girl was yelling at him.

"No, no, I smashed him dead-on with that attack, and I saw him burn away," adding quietly to himself "...like I said sometimes it sucks to be me..." And that was the last word he got out before the monster smashed over him like a freight train. It rolled as it grabbed ahold of him, and they wrestled against each other a moment, before landing with Zero under the Demon. "...and sometimes it REALLY sucks to be me!" he said sarcastically as the monster began trying to bite his head off.

With a swift kick from his right leg, and a strong push from his left, Zero flipped the monster off of him, and threw him a few meters away, where it landed gently and began to circle while growling at him. "Youuu, Youuu arrre a nuisance. I'm ssssure the massster will not mind me taking care of a nuisssance firssst.

Zero landed gently himself, in a crouch with his sabre back out in a flash as he steadied himself with his other hand. "Great, He's fire-proof. What now?"

"I've got an idea!" The girl called to him, "If he's resistant to fire, what about the other side of that?"

"Oh, right." Zero said to himself, "I have an ice attack I got from Frost Walrus as well. Guess I've gone to long without them...." Then he called over to the girl, "Right, I've got it! You got anything that could help?"

"I'll take care of it." She said to him simply, a card appearing in her hand and spinning a moment before she grabbed it.

"Good enough for me," Zero said as he charged the monster, who also began to charge at him. As he ran, Zero waved his hand across the length of his sabres blade, causing the blade to convert to a frigid bluish color. As the two combatants came within range of each other, they leapt upwards, meeting in midair. The demons fist pulled back, a triumphant, maniacal smile on it's hideous face. Said smile was quickly removed when Zero planted a foot in his face, and leapt even higher while smashing the monster towards the ground.

Zero reached the apex of his leap just as the monster hit the ground, and his blade grew an even deeper blue, with mist beginning to trail from it. As he began to drop towards the monster, he thrust the blade downwards, just as the blade solidified into a large spike of ice, which trailed mist as he plummeted towards the recovering monster.

Sakura completed her spell just as the ice of Zero's sabre solidified. "Freeze Card! Empower my ally's blade!" She yelled as the streams of energy exploded from the card, and wrapped themselves around the ice.

Zero felt even more power flow into his attack as the magic took effect. Suddenly, as though a door opened in his mind, he felt something else happen within his systems.

-Computer: Ascendant at 120 efficiency. Power overflow from weapon systems, Ability augmentation: Hyouretsuzan: Overload of energy matrix. New ability in use.-

Zero dropped towards the monster like an icy comet, his descent leaving a trail of frozen vapor behind him. All that could be heard as he fell was his voice screaming, "Hyouretsuzan Advanced! Hell Blast Freeze!" as he blasted into the monster on the ground.

A moment later, the crater Zero and the monster had landed in exploded, growing towering pillars of ice out of it, which quickly began to melt under the heat of the sun.

---------

Sakura watched as the crater exploded from the energy of the attack, and the ice began to form growing out of the crater. As the dust of the attack faded, she saw the armored figure standing over the dwindling remains of the creature. After a moment, the figure slowly began to walk away from her, fading into the mist.

"Hey wait!" She called out to him, and he stopped, waiting for something, "Thanks for your help, but who are you anyway?" She asked him, which he responded to by walking into the mist again.

"You can call me Zero, I just help where I can." His voice called through the mist, as his form vanished.

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End Chapter 7

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Okay, This is finally finished. I got kinda sidetracked by my Ranma/Morrowind story, which I think I may be updating more than I thought I would, as it seems to be getting a really good response.

By the Way, I changed the other story, "Road Journal of a Wandering Reploid" to "Dimensional Travels: Lost Documents" this is because it's not going to be just Zero's Journal Entries anymore, it's going to hold the story elements that don't exactly fit directly in with this part of the story. things like journal entries, MHHQ reports referring to Zero's disappearance, things happening in the X universe, and etc etc etc.

Please Review! Prease-nyo? TT Kitty!

Stay Vigilant, Hunters.


	8. Swords and Cards Part 3: Darkness Rising

Dimensional Travels

by: Jammin2099 AKA zerotraveler

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Ah...I guess I should say something to the effect of me being away for so long. But, nothing I can really do about it, so...

Anyway, I'm back, and I will be trying to write more.

Standard Disclaimers and everything still apply. Zero, X, and anything else Megaman related belong to Capcom. Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP and I guess the publishing company that produces the manga and the company that serializes the anime.

Anything else I happen to include will inevitably belong to their own copyright holders.

BTW: This is after the end of the series, about 2-3 years. Sakura and Syaoran are about 15-17 in age range. Syaoran never left, being allowed to continue his education without uprooting himself.

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Chapter 8

A Mystical Alliance: Swords and Cards

Part 3: Darkness Rising

* * *

Shadowy figures ringed a dark colored table, at the head of which was a stone obelisk, black as night, and covered in glowing rune work. They were arranged around the table in simple stone chairs, their faces hidden in shadow as they held their meeting. Each showed the others an unemotional disdain, but grudging respect as well as a little fear for the Stone Obelisk.

In the center of the table, an intricate pattern was etched out of lines of pulsing dark violet, bathing those near it in slightly brighter illumination than the others, though not enough to reveal facial features. Slightly above the symbol, a battle was playing out, depicting a spiked, foul demon facing a boy swordsman, and a girl with a strange staff, and then the armored figure with the sword made of light. The last image was of a massive spike of ice being driven into whatever had been seeing this, and the vision flared with mystical energies, blinding its viewers for a moment, before it sudden burst, the lines on the surface scattering fragments of the viewing spell, and the smell of brimstone filled the room.

"$&#$"

"N-no, my lord, I meant no..."

"$#" The responding sound was infernal and angry. The Stone Obelisk lit with red tracings and symbols, a strange humming filling the air.

"NO! I...Please, milord, another chance, Surely I will..."

But it was useless, the next instant, the body belonging to the feminine voice ignited, melting away from the feet up. Her screams were horrible, until her throat finally melted away and soon after the steaming skeleton hit the floor bursting apart and burning to ashes a moment later.

"#$$."

"Yes, milord." a man's voice rang clearly in the darkness of the room, a smirk almost noticeable in his tone.

"$&$#. #$..."

"Of course, Master. The brat will be dealt with. As will the warrior."

"$."

"By your leave, then..." The man said, and the owner of the voice stood and bowed before vanishing. The others on this shadow council began talking with each other in hushed tones, as the muted red tracings began to fade into the stone again.

* * *

Sakura looked on as Zero began walking into the mist, a call on her lips as she stepped forward, but after only a moment, the clouds of ice and steam hid him from view and he was gone. A muffled groan from behind her reminded her of the other concern...

"Syaoran!" She suddenly remembered, turning around and rushing back to the young mans side. "Are you okay?" She said, checking him thoroughly as a pained gasp escaped, whistling through grit teeth.

"I'll be fi..." He started, but the look on her face cut him short. "I've been better." he finally admitted, accepting her hand up and shoulder to lean on. "Is it dead?" He ground out after pushing down the slight nausea changing his position had brought up.

"I think so. That was an amazing attack." Sakura said, thinking back on the battle. "I..." she started, but was cut off by the sound of approaching sirens. "We should probably get out of here."

A moment, and one Power and Jump card later, Sakura was leaping away, and the police cars screeched into the intersection finding a steaming, quickly thawing, frozen crater, and signs of explosions.

"So, a Master has appeared, and it is not Clow's Descendant." The shadowed man said as he watched the investigation of the scene from the shadows of the roof. "Hrm. Perhaps this Warrior could prove useful to our cause." He said with a dark chuckle as he examined the size of the crater that had been blown in the earth.

* * *

(A few days later...)

Zero growled as his last available Buster shot burst from his weapon only to be dodged and burn a hole in the brick wall behind his target. The creature he was fighting was fast and agile, and he had only managed to score it once or twice with the tip of his blade. After it had finished flowing around the burst of energy, It pounced on the reploid warrior like some type of evil cat, the image all the more convincing due to the creatures feline face and features. It grinned smugly in his face as it pinned him to the ground, razor-sharp teeth in many rows as it took in its victory over the crimson warrior.

"Not so proud without your little fan club here to help, are you?" It ground out in a feral sounding growl, tinged with a taunting tone that said the demon thought it's battle already won.

Zero's ears perked up and he suddenly asked the catlike creature, "Tell me, do you happen to know what the words 'Raitei Shourai' mean?" The demons face twisted into a laughably confused expression as it pondered his words.

"What?"

"Well, It's just that I've heard it so many times right before one of you guys get blasted by 'My little fan club' that I'd like to know what it means." He said seriously.

_**RAITEI SHOURAI!**_

"Yeah, Just like that!" He said to the suddenly surprised demon, as a moment later, a bolt of concentrated lightning engulfed the cat demon and swept it off of Zero, who had closed his eyes and raised his visor to protect both his sight and identity.

A moment later, and the girl, (In yet another ridiculous costume, Zero noted...) called out some sort of huge cat made of lightning that basically devoured the cat-demon, leaving behind a scattering pile of dust in the wind before vanishing.

"Hey! At least you could thank us before you leave!" The boy shouted out to Zero as he stood and dusted himself off before turning away.

"Yeah sure, I'm thankful already." Zero said, stopping and looking over their shoulder at the pair. Lumbering up behind the two was a huge kid that looked like a viking bodybuilder, as well as camera girl, chinese girl, and tech boy.

"You know we can help you, Why won't you show us who you are?" The summoner girl called out.

"Because I'm not sure I'll be here very long. And if you don't get attached to me, it won't be hard to leave." Zero replied, suddenly cold as he turned away. A moment later, and his teleporter picked up the correct type of sattelite, and he teleported away.

* * *

The Man remained calm as he was lifted as soon as he stepped into the room and slammed against the wall, held there by a powerful force, as a baleful eye glared down at him from the top of the black stone obelisk in the room. "#$ ! $#, $&W#!"

"I know my Lord, but they were necessary to our plan."

"#$ . #$#$#$ #$$ #$$#...$ !"

"Of course. All is going according to plan, and soon, the warrior will make more than an adequate replacement for your lost soldiers."

"$#. #$$."

He shook himself and smoothed out the wrinkles in his suit as the force left him and he landed smoothly on the floor, flexing slightly to absorb the impact. He straightened his tie and turned to walk out the door, the dark Obelisk in the room growling darkly at the loss of another of it's dark warriors.

* * *

Okay, so Chapter finished, I really need to figure out how I'm going to finish this section out, hopefully, we'll be done here in the next few chapters and I can get back to the dimension hopping adventure.

Sorry I've taken so long to update. I really fell out on my story writing, and I'm trying to get back into it. So, That's all for this chapter. See you next chapter!

Zerotraveler


End file.
